Many Homes, Many Familes, One Heart
by Black Raider
Summary: Never, EVER, tell your leader of a brother that you hate him, even if you meant it. Because you might end up like me: separated from your family, lost in another dimension, with no way to return home. No way to take it all back and tell your father and brothers you love them with all your heart T for blood/violence/near-death experiences
1. A Fight and an Accident

**A/N: Now, this story is more like a sequel to "Mysterious as the Dark Side of the Moon" and has little to nothing to do with "TMNT Miwa Chronicles" because I may or may not alter/not finish that. Enjoy this new story!**

* * *

**Chapter One- A Fight and An Accident**

Splinter breathed calmly and deeply, allowing his thoughts to settle as he meditated. Haiiro curled in a ball in front of him, either meditating along with him or sleeping again. It was moments like these, when things were nice and quiet, that Splinter truly had time to enjoy himself. As much as he loved his sons and daughter, he liked time to himself; time when the lair was tranquil and silent.

"You take that back!"

"Why don't you _make _me?"

"Baka na roba!"

"What did you call me?"

"You heard me!"

"That doesn't mean I _understood _you!"

Splinter sighed as he opened his eyes. Haiiro opened her eyes and seemed to sigh as well. He and Haiiro stood up and walked from the dojo and into the lair, where they found Miwa and the boys. Leo and Miwa stood face to face in the pit, right in front of the TV. Mikey cowered behind a comic book. Raph leaned against the pinball machine. Donnie tried to play the game, but it was clear he listened to the argument between Leo and Miwa.

"You got a problem with my leadership choices?" Leo demanded. "_Again_, I might add."

"Okay, first off, the only reason I had a problem last time was because I worked for the Shredder." Miwa pointed out. "That was all planned. Second off, _yes _I have a problem with your leadership choices! You almost got us killed last night! _And_ the night before that! _And_ the night before _that! And the night before that!"_

"You're over exaggerating!" Leo scoffed.

"Am I?" Miwa challenged. "The guys believe me, right guys?"

"We are _not _getting in the middle of that!" Donnie announced.

Miwa rolled her eyes. "My point is, you need to think before you act! I thought you knew that already."

"You think that just because you were Shredder's top ninja you know how to be a leader?" Leo snapped.

"My past with the Shredder has nothing to do with this." Miwa growled.

"It has _everything _to do with this!" Leo shouted. "The only reason we found you was because of the Shredder! He raised you as his own! His influence carries straight to you!"

"I've moved on from that!" Miwa shouted back. "And I thought we were arguing about _you_!"

Leo glared. "You know what I just realized? This fight isn't about me and my leadership. It's about _you_."

"Me?" Miwa scoffed.

"You're jealous!" Leo announced.

"Jealous?" Miwa laughed. "Are you crazy?"

"You're jealous because we were raised by our real father while _you _were raised by a maniac!" Leo reasoned. "You hate that we're the superior siblings."

"In what ways are you superior to me?" Miwa demanded.

"Because we weren't raised by a murderer and grew up to be one!" Leo yelled.

"Leonardo!" Splinter snapped.

Too late. Miwa suddenly lunged for Leo, tackling him to the ground. They wrestled for a moment before Leo managed to kick her off. He jumped for her again, aiming a punch for her face. Miwa blocked it and kicked Leo's plastron, knocking him backwards and into a wall. Donnie, Raph, and Mikey could only stare in shock as the two battled it out. Splinter, however, was quick to intervene and pull the two apart.

"Both of you stop it!" Splinter ordered.

"She started it!" Leo snapped as Splinter pushed him to Donnie and Raph, who held him back.

"I do not care who started it or how it started in the first place!" Splinter said firmly, still holding Miwa back by her shirt. "Both of you are to stop it!"

"He's the one who's so quick to blame others before himself!" Miwa snapped.

"_You're _the one that chooses to insult me in languages you don't even understand!" Leo snapped back.

"I was born and raised in Japan, you idiot." Miwa groaned.

Leo realized his mistake, but pushed it aside. "You know what? I don't know why you even come on patrol with us? Are you still working for Shredder and now you're watching our every move? Does he know where our lair is and you're just waiting for the right time to tell him?"

"How can you say that?" Miwa demanded.

"Come on, guys, let's be cool." Mikey suggested feebly.

"You were raised by the Shredder!" Leo shouted. "You're no different than he is! You never left him behind; you're just waiting for him to beg you to come back. And I bet you'll accept in a heartbeat!"

"Leonardo!" Splinter snapped. Miwa suddenly wrenched herself from Splinter's grip.

"What do you know?" Miwa shouted. "You know _nothing _of my life and what I have been through! So what the shell do you—"

"Don't talk like us like you're a part of us!" Leo yelled. "You will _never _be a part of us!"

Immediately after he said it, he regretted it. Miwa still glared at Leo, but tears started welling up in her eyes and streamed down her cheeks. She pushed Splinter aside when he reached for her and stomped towards the turnstiles, grabbing her gauntlets along the way.

Leo trailed after her. "Miwa—"

"Don't talk to me!" Miwa screamed. "I hate you!" She turned and ran off, disappearing into the sewers.

Splinter stared sternly at his sons. "What happened?"

Nobody answered at first, so Mikey stepped up beside Splinter. "We were fighting the Foot Ninja earlier, and let's just say some of Leo's decisions didn't really agree with Miwa."

"I don't understand why she always has to argue with me." Leo sighed.

"It is in her nature." Splinter sighed. "Tang Shen sometimes acted the same way; as did I."

"That and she might be reacting badly because she has to step down as leader." Donnie noted. "She probably stood as Shredder's right hand man considering she used to be his 'daughter'."

"But I then we took her in as our sister!" Mikey said with a smile.

"We kinda saved her." Raph noted, crossing his arms to look tough (though he truly cared for Miwa).

"Sensei, I swear," Leo assured. "I _never _meant to say those things."

Splinter sighed through his nose. "Haiiro, stay." The kitten sat obediently as Splinter moved to the turnstiles, his sons close behind. "Family members get into fights all the time. It happens. As long as you all truly care about each other, you will have the chance to patch things up. But first, we must find my daughter. I have a bad feeling about her being out there when she is so angry."

"I got a bad feeling _now_." Mikey gulped a little. "Something's not right."

"Then we should hurry." Splinter urged. He and the boys suddenly broke into a run.

* * *

Miwa didn't stop running, her tears constantly clouding her vision. Even so, she wiped her eyes dry and kept going, determined to get as far away from the lair as possible. _I hate him. I hate him so much. Why does he _always _make things so difficult? Why can't he let go of his pride? What can't _I _let go of _my _pride? Why do we keep fighting all the time?_

Miwa suddenly tripped and hit the ground hard, sliding across the roof of the apartment she landed on. She lay on the cement for a while, letting her frustrated tears fall. She pushed herself to a sitting up position, rubbing her eyes.

"What's wrong with me?" She muttered disdainfully. She stood and walked to the edge of the building, looking out over the city. _Maybe Leo's right; I don't belong with the Turtles…..or Splinter….._ "I don't belong with my own father."

A sound made her look down at the street, and she noticed some familiar-looking men and robots in an alleyway, loading things into a white van. Miwa narrowed her eyes and crouched down into the shadows, watching the Kraang load more things into their van. _What are you doing, Kraang scum?_ She slipped away down the fire escape and hid behind a dumpster as the Kraang finished their job. The droids climbed into their van and Miwa took the opportunity to jump up and grab the handles of the van's back doors, standing on the bumper. The van sped off, almost throwing the young konoichi off. But she held on tight as the van sped away to the TCRI building. Miwa waited patiently until the van stopped before jumping down and hiding in the shadows once more. The Kraang started unloading again, and Miwa noticed that they looked like computer parts.

_The portal. _Miwa realized. _I bet those are for the portal to Dimension X. I gotta stop them._

* * *

Mikey wanted to call out for Miwa, but remembered his father's and his brothers' warnings about them not being seen, so he simply scanned the area around him. But there was no sign of his beloved girlfri—sister. There was no way Mikey would admit that he had feelings for Miwa that were more than just brotherly; he wouldn't even admit it to himself.

"Come on, girl….where are you?" He whispered. He looked back at his brothers and father as they finally caught up with him. "Any sign of her?"

"Nowhere." Donnie shook his head.

"Come on, guys, think." Raph urged. "Where would she go?"

"Anywhere she can be alone." Splinter said.

"You have to remember this is Miwa." Leo noted. "She's _very _good at disappearing."

"Thanks, Captain Obvious." Raph rolled his eyes.

Mikey tried calling Miwa's phone, but once again came up with voicemail. "She won't pick up her cell phone."

Donnie's eyes lit up. "Her cell phone! That's it!" He pulled out his T-phone and typed away. "I can find her signal and discover where her phone is! We find her phone, we find her."

"Way to go, Donnie." Leo said with a soft smile.

Splinter noticed the troubled look on Leo's face. "What troubles you, Leonardo?"

Leo looked up at his father, and then sighed. "This happens all the time in the classic stories: the fight, the shouting, and the 'I hate you', the running away, and then the two people that got into the fight never get the chance to say they were sorry." He sighed. "I guess I'm just paranoid. But…I'm just afraid I won't get the chance to apologize to her." He groaned. "I'm an idiot."

"Perhaps it wasn't very smart to say those things to her if you didn't mean them." Splinter nodded. "But the fact that you recognize that and you truly wish to make amends, then we will make sure it happens."

"Guys, I found her!" Donnie announced.

"Where is she?" Mikey asked hurriedly.

Donnie's eyes widened in horror. "TCRI."

* * *

Miwa slunk through the halls, keeping close to the Kraang as they entered the "closed" building and entered the elevator. She hardly paused as she followed, pressing the button and anxiously waiting for the elevator to return. When it did, she jumped in, pressed the button for the top floor, opened the emergency hatch, and climbed to the roof of the elevator. She stayed crouched to the ground as the elevator box steadily made its ascent to the top floor, where the Kraang's dimensional portal rested.

_Get in, sabotage the machine, and get out. _She repeated over and over again in her head. She didn't want to stay there any long than she had to. At the same time, she wanted to prove a point to Leo. The point being…..well, she didn't know what point she wanted to prove, but she needed an excuse to vent her anger, and what better punching bag than the Kraang?

Miwa looked up and realized the last floor was coming up fast. She slipped back into the elevator and darted out just as the doors opened, staying in the shadows. Unfortunately, there weren't very many shadows to hide in. Nevertheless, Miwa found she could easily hide from the Kraang droids as she continued to a large room she remembered from the last time she and the boys came to TCRI. A Kraang droid spotted her, but she quickly sliced the droid and it collapsed. The alien inside tried to scurry away, but Miwa grabbed it and slammed the alien into a wall, knocking it unconscious. She soon reached the large double doors and jumped to glance into the windows. Every time she jumped, she caught sight of a couple dozen Kraang in droid bodies or floating on some strange disks. There was also some strange green fog, but Miwa didn't think it was that important. However, she decided that she should try and hold her breath while inside.

"Booyakasha, Kraang idiots." Miwa said with a smirk. She stepped a few feet back and then ran forward, jumping up to kick the doors open forcefully. The Kraang inside turned to her, but when they tried to attack her she cut them down. The Kraang in the flying machines whirred off in fear. The droids attacked Miwa all at once, but she was too fast and too strong; she threw them into their own machine and her gauntlet claws sliced through the metal. When the droids were finally destroyed, Miwa sheathed her claws and stepped up to the dimension portal. She stumbled a little, her lack of air affecting her brain and making her lungs burn. But she shook it off, determined to not breathe in the air. Somehow, the doors had closed behind her and locked the green fog inside the room.

_Gotta focus. _Miwa pushed herself to one of the panels and she slashed it open with her claws. _Time for some sabotaging. _She sliced through some of the wiring and unscrewed screws. She stumbled a little, realizing that the lack of air was starting to truly affect her brain. She finally gasped, taking a few deep breaths. Instantly, she started gagging and coughing, clutching her throat as the foreign air invaded her lungs. She felt her brain go fuzzy and she suddenly collapsed, unconscious, to the ground. She lay there, motionless, for several minutes until more Kraang droids suddenly entered the room.

"Kraang, who is this human?" one droid asked.

"The human is a friend to the ones known as the Turtles." A second droid replied. "She is a threat to our mission on this planet."

"Then eliminate the one that needs eliminating." The first droid ordered. "Kraang needs to fix the dimensional portal so that Kraang can continue with the mission Kraang needs to complete on this planet."

_CRASH!_

The Kraang droids turned abruptly and noticed five figures crash through the window, allowing the poisonous air of Dimension X to escape and dissipate from existence. Miwa coughed and pushed herself upright, breathing in the clean air and sighing.

"Miwa."

Miwa looked up as Splinter helped her to her feet. She noticed her brothers attacking the Kraang droids. "Otōsan….."

"It is all right." Splinter assured. "We will discuss this when we are home."

Miwa nodded. She and Splinter joined the Turtles as they took down the Kraang. But no matter how many droids they destroyed, more took their place. Leo tossed one of his katanas to Splinter and the odds turned ever so slightly in their favor; however, the Kraang were relentless.

Mikey found himself back to back with Splinter as some Kraang surrounded them. Mikey whacked one of the droids aside. "You doing okay, Sensei?"

"Fine." Splinter decapitated a few droids as they approached.

"Where's Miwa?" Mikey asked.

A cry above their heads made them look up, and their eyes widened when they saw Miwa in the rafters, fighting a few Kraang that thought it would be a good idea to follow her. She sliced every robot that came within two feet of her, but more kept coming.

Raph threw his sais at a robot, but the droid managed to jump aside as the sais hit the open panel of the dimension machine. The machine began to whir and spew sparks uncontrollably. The rods began to glow a pinkish-purple, and a portal started to appear. But it flickered, as though faulty. "Aw crud, that's not good." Raph groaned.

"We gotta get out of here!" Donnie urged. "That thing's gonna collapse!"

"Kraang!" one of the droids shouted. "Now would be an opportune time to run away from the place that needs to be run away from!" The alien robots ran from the room, but Miwa was still stuck fighting her robot opponents in the rafters.

"Miwa!" Mikey shouted. "Get down from there!"

"If I could, I would!" Miwa assured. She yelped when a robot caught her off guard and tried to throw her off the rafters. She clung to the metal rafter to stop her descent and hung on tight. She looked down and saw that she conveniently hung right above the collapsing machine below. She tried to pull herself up, but the Kraang droids still on the rafters aimed their guns for her. She sliced her claws through their legs, causing them to collapse and crash land hard to the floor. Miwa tried to pull herself up again, but she kept slipping, unable to get a good grip.

"Miwa!" Raph shouted.

"We gotta go!" Donnie urged.

"Really?" Miwa shouted sarcastically. "I thought it was a _good _thing to be up here when the portal machine is collapsing!"

"She really needs to get a handle on her sarcasm." Leo huffed.

"Miwa, jump!" Splinter ordered.

"What?" Miwa cried.

"Swing yourself towards me!" Splinter called. "I will catch you!"

Miwa looked a little uncertain. "Dad, I don't think—" A part of the machine exploded below her, the shockwave making her slip a little. Now, she hung from the rafter by almost her fingertips, unable to pull herself up again.

"Miwa, I promise I'll catch you!" Splinter called.

"We'll catch you if he doesn't!" Mikey added. "Come on!"

Miwa took a breath and began to swing. She let her momentum build a little, but before she could swing herself forward and let go, the machine let out another small explosion. The tiny earthquake-like tremor force Miwa to slip and she plummeted towards the machine.

"No!" Splinter and the boys ran for Miwa, but another explosion sent a shockwave that sent them flying backwards. Miwa screamed as she fell, and her vision became clouded with a pinkish-purple glow.

Then, everything went dark.

The Turtles and Splinter covered their heads instinctively as the machine collapsed into multiple pieces and charred wires and some dust here and there. The five of them hurried to the remains of the machine, calling for their sister/daughter and rummaging through the parts. But no matter how much metal they turned over and no matter how many times they called her name, Miwa could not be found.

Donnie suddenly stopped. "She's gone."

"She is _not _gone!" Splinter snapped. "She has to be alive!"

"I'm not saying she's dead!" Donnie countered, making everyone pause and stare. "I'm saying, she's not here; as in, not in this place."

"Then where is she?" Mikey asked, a bit of a whimper in his voice.

Donnie looked at the wreckage. "Well, based on what we just saw, I would guess that the machine opened a portal and Miwa fell through it before the machine collapsed."

"So she's in Dimension X?" Leo cried desperately.

"I think so." Donnie nodded. "Or not. I'm not sure."

The boys exchanged looks. "So…..what do we do?" Mikey asked.

But nobody had an answer.

* * *

Miwa groaned and pushed herself to a sitting position. She held her head in her hand, her eyes still shut. But her pain soon turned to confusion when she felt…grass?

Miwa finally opened her eyes and looked around, realizing she sat in a field of green grass and wildflowers. Some bushes dotted the land here and there and a village rested in a valley below the hills Miwa sat on. The skies were clear and the sun was shining. Everything looked perfectly happy and normal.

"What the devil just happened?" Miwa sighed. "Where am I?"

* * *

**A/N: What do you think? Interesting so far? For lack of confusion reasons, let's just say this takes place sometime after "TCRI" but before "Cockroach Terminator." Just wait until you see where Miwa ends up!**

**Japanese translation: "Baka na roba" means "Stupid ass (as in donkey)"**


	2. Unusual Friends and Unusual Worlds

**Chapter Two- Unusual Friends and Unusual Worlds**

"Splinter!" Miwa called as she stood. "Otōsan! Dad?" She looked all around, but her brothers and father were nowhere in sight. "Mikey? Donnie! Raph! Leo! Where are you guys?" Still, no answer came. "Oh come on, guys. Where are you? Okay, Miwa, don't freak out. I'm sure this can all be explained." She looked towards the village, noting the old-style houses that she could recognize in a heartbeat. "If I'm correct, then this must be Feudal Japan. But….how did I get here? The Kraang portal is supposed to travel to Dimension X; it wasn't supposed to send me through time. I'm pretty sure this isn't Dimension X." She sighed. "Well, I guess the village is a good place to start. I just hope I don't attract too much attention." Miwa made her way down the hill to the village. But when she arrived, she froze with wide eyes.

Animals. Animals everywhere. Anthropomorphic animals in Feudal Japanese clothing. All of them talking and walking on their hind legs and acting like normal people. There were cats, pandas, a few rhinos, foxes, dogs, and all other sorts of native Japanese animals. Miwa tried to remain calm as she walked through the town, but some of the animals there cast her strange glances. Many of them looked afraid, especially staring at her black clothing. She considered putting on her green mask, but thought otherwise and decided it would do her no good now. Besides, the lack of the mask would make her seem like less of a threat.

"Excuse me." Someone said in a small voice.

Miwa stopped, turned, and looked down, seeing a small fox kit in a purple kimono and clutching a teddy bear. Miwa knelt down to the shy kit's eye level and smiled kindly. "Yes?"

"Are you a ninja?" the fox kit asked.

Miwa raised an eyebrow. "Why do you ask?"

"Kitsune!" an older fox in a maroon kimono approached the kit and put her paws on her shoulders. "Come along. Let's not bother the nice…..lady…" Miwa noticed how the fox almost said "ninja" and gave the human a suspicious look.

"It's no trouble at all, ma'am." Miwa assured as she stood. "Though I must be going." She bowed respectfully and walked off, slipping away into the crowd. _Come on, Miwa. _She inwardly groaned. _Ninja History 101: Ninjas weren't the most popular in Feudal Japan because they were mostly hired as assassins. Steer clear of samurai. _The last thing she wanted was for a samurai to catch her and start asking questions.

"Hey pretty lady!" A rhino suddenly appeared in front of Miwa, dressed in heavy samurai armor and flanked by two more rhino samurai, though in less extravagant armor. "How ya doin'?"

"Quite well." Miwa replied simply. She tried to move around the rhino, but he kept getting in the way.

"Now what's a pretty little ninja like you doing here?" the rhino asked in a faux sweet/demanding tone.

"What makes you think I'm a ninja?" Miwa demanded.

"Nobody wears clothes like that without being a ninja." The rhino huffed, pointing at Miwa's black ninja clothing.

"What do you know?" Miwa laughed. "You're not as dense as you put off."

The rhino's two lackeys laughed until their leader glared at them. He advanced towards Miwa, forcing her to back up. "Listen here, ninja scum. I don't care whose clan you came from or why you're here, but know this now: you ain't welcome!"

Miwa glared and stepped aside to get a clear getaway down the street. "And who are _you _to determine that?"

Before the rhino could answer, a shout echoed from down the alleyway nearby. The lead rhino turned and drew his sword. "Come on!" he urged his teammates. The three of them hurried down the alleyway. Miwa smirked. _What luck. _She turned to walk away, but the same scream came again.

"Somebody help me please!"

Miwa turned and darted down the alley. She didn't get very far before she had to jump over the three unconscious rhino samurai. At the end of the alley, with his back against the wall and looking terrified beyond belief, stood a panda boy, maybe eleven or twelve, wearing a blue and white gi with a purple jacket that had a sort of paw print symbol on it. A sort of bun of black fur stood on his head. He trembled with fear as about six figures surrounded him, blocking off all escape routes. They were all cloaked in black, but their figures clearly indicated they were cats of some kind.

"Leave him alone!" Miwa shouted, leaping over the cats' heads and landing between them and the panda child.

"You shall not get in the way of the Neko Clan!" one of the ninjas proclaimed. "Who are you?"

"The ninja about to kick your tails." Miwa declared, unsheathing her gauntlet claws. She turned her head to the panda. "Stay here and stay down." She turned just as the first ninja came at her with a sword. She quickly blocked it and kicked the ninja into one of his comrades, sending them both into a wall. Two more ninja approached, but Miwa jumped and kicked them both aside. A fifth Neko Clan ninja jumped into the air and aimed an axe for her head, but Miwa crossed her blades in front of her and successfully blocked the attack. She noticed the sixth ninja approaching the panda kid, and Miwa grabbed her opponent's hands and twisted them around, flipping him to the ground. Then she took the axe and slammed the flat of the blade into the sixth cat's head.

Miwa pulled the panda towards her and held up her claws, ready for the next opponent. "Anyone else want to try that?" The cats stood to fight again, but they glanced towards the entrance to the alley and suddenly jumped to the walls, using their claws to scale them and disappear over the rooftops. Miwa sheathed her claws and looked to the entryway just as another cat-like creature approached her, brandishing a sword threateningly. The creature wore purple pants with gold and white designs on the cuffs, a long sleeved black shirt with a white collar, a pink vest, and brown sandals with white socks. The paw print symbol on the panda's clothes was also stitched into the cat's clothing. A thick bush of black hair cascaded down the cat's back with some of it tied in a bun with a white ribbon. Her eyes shined a golden brown that reminded Miwa a little of Karai. She also had a pair of pointed cat ears poking out of her hair, just behind her bangs.

"You let him go this instant!" the feline demanded. "Or I shall make you pay!"

"Tomoe Ame!" the panda held up his hands. "Wait! This ninja saved me from the Neko Clan!"

The creature, Tomoe Ame, glared at Miwa. "Is this true?"

"If those cat creatures in ninja clothing were the Neko Clan, then yes." Miwa nodded.

Tomoe Ame sheathed her weapon a little reluctantly and approached the human. "Who are you, Ninja? And what clan do you come from?"

"My name is Hamato Miwa from the Lotus Clan." Miwa introduced. "Led by Hamato Yoshi."

"My name is Lord Noriyuki." The panda introduced. "This is my guardian, Tomoe Ame."

"An honor to meet you." Miwa bowed in respect. Tomoe Ame and Noriyuki did the same.

"I have never heard of this Lotus Clan." Tomoe Ame noted as the three of them journeyed back to the streets. "Are they very dangerous?"

"Well, to our enemies." Miwa shrugged. "But we are a very honorable clan. Small, but strong."

"I fail to see how a ninja can be honorable." Tomoe Ame said.

"Not all ninja clans are evil." Noriyuki assured. "What about that rat ninja Usagi told us about?"

"Rat ninja?" Miwa asked, pausing.

"We have a friend called Miyamoto Usagi." Tomoe Ame explained. "He met a rat ninja during a battle tournament."

"Did he say what the ninja's name was?" Miwa asked eagerly.

"I cannot remember." Noriyuki admitted. "But why don't we go ask him? He and Gennosuke are staying at my home."

"Are you all right with that, Tomoe Ame-san?" Miwa asked kindly.

Tomoe Ame smiled a little. "My lord trusts you for now, so I shall too. Come. Perhaps our friend Usagi can shed some light on this situation."

* * *

To say Miwa was surprised when she met Usagi would be an understatement. She was downright flabbergasted.

Although, with a name like "Usagi", she probably should've expected him to be a rabbit.

Not just any rabbit. A rabbit _samurai_. Dressed in black pants, a blue gi shirt with a white trim, and his ears tied in a sort of "ponytail" on top of his head. A sword and a tantō knife rested at his hip. He had strong, dark eyes and freckles, no doubt were his whiskers would usually go. He was accompanied by an older-looking rhino, smaller than the rhino samurai Miwa encountered earlier, dressed in a white gi-like outfit with blue trim and a footprint design similar to a hoof with toes. His horn had been cut almost flat so that only a few inches of horn remained. He also carried a sword; he called himself Gennosuke, or Gen for short.

"The Lotus Clan, hm?" Usagi mused. "I have never heard of it. But I _have _heard the name 'Hamato' before." He took a sip of his tea. The five of them (Usagi, Gen, Miwa, Tomoe Ame, and Noriyuki) sat at a small table as they drank tea and enjoyed some of the cakes Lord Noriyuki's cooks had made.

Miwa swallowed a mouthful of cake. "Where have you heard it?"

"When I met a rat ninja by the name of Hamato Splinter." Usagi replied.

"Splinter?" Miwa's eyes brightened.

"You know him?" Usagi asked.

"He's my father." Miwa replied.

"Really?" Usagi looked just as excited. "Amazing."

"A little weird having a rat for a dad, but pretty awesome." Miwa nodded. "But how do you know Splinter?"

"I met him at the Battle Nexus, soon after he won the final match and became a Battle Nexus Champion." Usagi explained.

Miwa cocked her head to one side. "A Battle What?"

"The Battle Nexus Tournament." Gen explained. "A great gathering of all the best warriors across the multiverse that occurs every three years. Your father is a legend."

"You've never heard of it?" Tomoe Ame asked Miwa. "Usagi tells us about it all the time. He's going to participate again in a few months."

"He never told me about a Battle Nexus or being the champion of it." Miwa shrugged.

"Just as well." Usagi shrugged. "He didn't mention having a daughter."

"Really?" Miwa asked, a little hurt.

"Don't be so sad, kid." Gen assured. "He never mentioned anything about having kids at all. Didn't really come up in the conversation."

"So, if Miwa-san is Hamato Splinter's daughter," Noriyuki asked. "Does that mean she is from the Third Earth dimension?"

"Third Earth?" Miwa asked.

"That's the dimension where Splinter lives." Usagi explained.

"So, if I'm here, in this world, does that mean I traveled through dimensions?" Miwa asked worriedly.

"Yes." Usagi nodded. "This world is known as Second Earth."

Miwa sighed, sipping her tea to calm herself. "Okay, so how do I get home? My father is probably worried sick about me. I sorta came here by accident and I don't even know how."

The four animals thought for a moment. "Perhaps the Ultimate Daimyo can help." Usagi suggested.

"Ultimate Daimyo?" Noriyuki asked.

"The ruler of the Battle Nexus." Gen explained. "He can do almost anything with that war staff of his."

"Like open a portal home?" Miwa asked excitedly.

"Of course." Usagi nodded. "Though it is untraditional to show up before the Battle Nexus Tournament, I'm sure the Daimyo will help. He is good friends with Splinter; this I know for sure."

_Huh. Dad never mentioned _that _either. _Miwa finished her tea hurriedly. "When can we leave?"

"We shall leave first thing tomorrow morning." Usagi promised.

"At least stay long enough for breakfast." Noriyuki offered. "I insist on treating my guests kindly."

Miwa smiled at the young lord's hospitality. "Thank you, Lord Noriyuki." She turned and bowed to the panda.

The panda cub smiled and bowed back. "Come on! I'll show you your room for the night!" He rose without giving Miwa the chance to respond, jogging out the door with a happy smile. Gen and Usagi only chuckled and excused themselves to their rooms, leaving Miwa along with Tomoe Ame.

Miwa turned to the cat girl. "Hey, listen—"

"I do not hold contempt for you, Miwa-san." Tomoe Ame assured with a soft smile. "I just worry for the young lord. I am to protect him with my life, and I almost failed today."

"How?"

"I was supposed to watch him, but I lost him in the crowd. And then the Neko Clan almost took him. I should've kept a closer eye on him."

Miwa put a hand on Tomoe Ame's shoulder. "You did what you could. That's it. I'm sure he's still proud to call you a friend. I know I would be."

Tomoe Ame smiled at Miwa. "I am glad that you are not like other ninja, Miwa-san. You are a good friend."

"Thanks." Miwa nodded with a smile.

* * *

The next morning, after a good breakfast with Lord Noriyuki, Usagi and Miwa head off to where Usagi would open a portal to the Battle Nexus, away from prying eyes so they would not be followed.

"So, tell me again how you know my father?" Miwa asked the rabbit ronin.

"I journeyed to the Battle Nexus six years ago, when I was ten." Usagi explained. "I accompanied my master as he participated in the tournament. I watched your father, Hamato Splinter, as he bested every opponent that came his way. No matter how big, strong, or fast his opponent was, Splinter remained the superior fighter. And then came the final match between him and a dragon known as Drako. Drako did not fight honorably, and your father was almost beaten. Splinter's leg was broken, and he was given the chance to forfeit. But he refused, splinted his leg, and continued the fight. And he won! Broken leg and all! He fought bravely and honorably and defeated Drako fairly. However, later that night, I was fetching water when I saw Splinter attacked by some shadowy assassins. I fought to defend him, but then Drako caught us. He would've killed us both had the Ultimate Daimyo not stepped in with his war staff. Drako ran off, and nobody's seen him since." Usagi sighed. "Like I said, it was six years ago. But I never forgot Splinter, and he never forgot me for bravely stepping up to defend him."

_That sounds like my dad…...but….it also _doesn't _sound like my dad. _Miwa pondered. _Is he hiding something from me? _

"How did you come to this dimension anyway?" Usagi asked Miwa. "Tried to follow your father to the Battle Nexus?"

"No." Miwa shook her head. "I sort of got into a fight with one of my brothers and ran away from home. Splinter and my brothers followed me and we got into a fight with some creatures called the Kraang. They had some sort of portal creation machine and I fell through a portal right before the machine exploded. Next thing I knew, I was here in this dimension."

"How strange." Usagi mused. "You said your name was Hamato Miwa?"

"Yes." Miwa nodded. "Hamato Yoshi is my dad. But he kinda goes by Splinter more often now that he's a rat."

Usagi cast a strange look, but shook it off so she wouldn't notice. _A rat? Hamato Yoshi was never a rat; he had a pet rat, though, and that was Splinter. Why would this girl say such a thing? Come to think of it, why would Splinter not mention having a daughter? Surely he would have brought her with him to the tournament just as my master brought me. _Usagi tried to shake it off, but he couldn't help but feel uneasy around this girl. She said things that didn't make sense with his knowledge, but her looks made him feel…..comfortable. The rabbit samurai kept staring at Miwa only to avert his eyes when she looked. Was it just him or did his cheeks feel unnaturally warm?

"Here we are." Usagi announced, stopping by a pool of clear water in the middle of the forest.

"Here?" Miwa asked.

"I opened the portal from this spot many times." Usagi explained, pulling a piece of chalk from his small bag. "It's really quite simple."

"And you're sure this Ultimate Daimyo can help?" Miwa asked uncertainly.

"Of course." Usagi assured as he chalked some strange symbols onto the large rock nearby. "He is very kind and generous just as much as he is strong and brave."

Miwa smiled at the thought of such a man. At least, she assumed the Ultimate Daimyo was a human; he could be another anthropomorphic animal or some other strange creature. But between living with mutants and being transported to another dimension, Miwa found it hard to be surprised by very many things nowadays. Nonetheless, she watched with amazement as Usagi finished carving the symbols, spoke some strange chant under his breath, and somehow created a glowing, watery blue doorway in the rock face. Usagi turned and smiled, looking somewhat proud, and Miwa found herself blushing a little. _Gosh he's handsome._

"Shall we go?" Usagi asked, gesturing to the portal.

"Is it safe?" Miwa asked craftily.

Usagi chuckled. "To prove myself, we shall go together." He held out his paw-like hand, and Miwa took it. Though neither of them showed it, the rabbit and human felt heat rising in their faces. Miwa gripped Usagi's hand a little tighter as they jumped through the portal and it closed behind them. A bright flash blinded Miwa for only a moment before she and Usagi touched the ground again, only this time in a whole new world. All around her stood rocks, trees, bamboo, and a few pools and cliffs. But the grass was golden brown, the rocks were a purplish-gray color, and the trees were maroon. It looked like any normal countryside, but Miwa knew that it was so much different. The purple sky kind of gave it away, after all.

"Impressed?" Usagi asked with a smile.

"It's beautiful." Miwa breathed. She blinked and looked down, realizing she and Usagi were still holding hands. They separated quickly, chuckling a little nervously.

"Come, Miwa-san." Usagi offered. "I will take you to the Daimyo's castle."

Miwa only nodded and walked alongside the rabbit ronin as they journeyed over the hill to the perfect view of the great castle that hosted the Battle Nexus Tournament. When Miwa's eyes befell upon the wondrous place, her eyes widened and she gasped softly. The entire place rested on rocks in the middle of a beautiful lake, leaning against twin majestic waterfalls. Below a giant face carved in the rock between the falls rested a Feudal Japanese style building that towered over a circular arena, surrounded by more buildings in the same Feudal Japanese era style. A simple yet elegant bridge connected the arena to the mainland.

"Gorgeous." Miwa breathed.

"Indeed." Usagi nodded. "I have come quite a few times with my master Katsuichi, but this place never ceases to amaze me."

"Wonderful." Miwa said with a smile.

Usagi smiled as well. "Come; let me introduce you to the honorable warrior known as the Ultimate Daimyo."

Miwa smirked. "Race ya to the bridge!" She took off down the hill.

"Hey! No head starts!" Usagi laughed as he followed the konoichi.

Miwa hardly paid attention. She laughed as she and the rabbit raced down the hill to the bridge. They darted across the wood, their quickened steps making a fast paced, rhythmic _da da da da da _sound. But they hardly made it through the front gate, however, when a figure landed in front of them, swinging two katanas towards their heads. Usagi and Miwa instinctively went to their knees, sliding across the ground as the twin blades whooshed past their heads. They quickly jumped back to their feet and turned to face the sword wielder, drawing their own blades.

"Who are you?" the figure demanded. He stood very tall, even though he clearly looked human. His blue gi had a black collar and some sort of chainmail underneath the shirt. He also wore wristbands and some strange boots. On one hand was a metal glove with sharpened fingertips, like claws. A purple cape on his back billowed in the soft breeze. His dark red hair was pulled in a high ponytail and a dragon-like mask of the same color was firmly attached to his face, revealing only his bright green eyes.

"We are a former Battle Nexus participant." Usagi introduced as he sheathed his blades. "And his friend. We request an audience with your father, Ultimate Ninja."

"Ultimate Ninja?" Miwa asked, still holding her claws ready.

"He is the son of the Ultimate Daimyo." Usagi explained. "He is a friend. Trust me."

Miwa and the Ultimate Ninja glared suspiciously at each other for a moment before the two of them sheathed their blades. "You said you came to see my father?" the Ultimate Ninja asked.

"Yes." Usagi nodded. "My friend here is in need of his help to return to her home dimension."

The Ultimate Ninja huffed. "Fine. I will show you to my father's throne room. But this is interrupting my training session for my battle against the great warrior Oroku Saki!" He stomped off, forcing Miwa and Usagi to jog to keep up.

"Did he say Oroku Saki?" Miwa whispered to Usagi.

"Yes." Usagi sighed softly. "He has been training nonstop in preparation to fight to mighty warrior." He noticed the look on Miwa's face. "What is it?"

"Nothing." Miwa shook her head. But her thoughts wandered. _This guy's going to fight Oroku Saki? Is he crazy? Why does he want to fight him? After all, the Shredder is _our _enemy; the enemy of me and my family. What right does _he _have to take the victory for defeating him? _Miwa's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. _But…how does he even _know _about Shredder? How could my father not tell me about this? This world….these people….this whole side of his life that's so amazing._

_What could my father be hiding from me?_

* * *

**A/N: What do you think? Am I capturing Usagi well? Am I confusing anyone?**


	3. Confusion

**Some of this takes place during the 2003 episode called "The King"**

* * *

**Chapter Three- Confusion**

Miwa soon discovered the inside of the palace just as beautiful as the outside, and she gawked at everything so much that Usagi had to hold her hand to make sure she didn't become separated. Miwa still kept staring at everything, but one room caught her eye in particular.

"What's that?" She asked, halting so suddenly that Usagi almost fell backwards.

"The Pavilion of Past Champions." The Ultimate Ninja replied dismissively. "Come along."

"Just wait a moment." Miwa said, darting inside.

Usagi turned to the Ultimate Ninja and bowed politely. "Will you please ask your father to meet us in the Pavilion?"

The Ultimate Ninja huffed again. "Very well." He turned sharply on his heel and marched off. Usagi simply shook his head and followed Miwa inside the Pavilion, discovering her standing in front of two familiar statues. Usagi stood beside her, smiling at the great warriors.

"Do you recognize him?" Usagi asked Miwa.

Miwa looked up at the statue she stood before. The statue was shaped like a rat, standing strong and proud and brave, armed with no weapon besides a simple walking stick. His robes were tattered-looking, even in the statue's depiction. He looked just like Splinter…..but at the same time, _not _like Splinter…..

"I think it's my father." Miwa said. "But….I don't think it is."

"Are you sure?" Usagi asked. "This is Hamato Splinter, a past champion of the Battle Nexus."

Miwa stared at the rat's face. She had the strangest feeling that it _was _her father, but she found it a little hard to recognize him; he looked so different than she remembered. "And who's that?" She pointed to the human statue next to Splinter.

Usagi hid his look of surprise. "That is Hamato Yoshi. He was Splinter's master and surrogate father."

_No he wasn't. _Miwa thought. _His nickname was Splinter. And he mutated into a rat. He never had a pet. What kind of world have I fallen into? _"Strange….he doesn't look anything like my father."

Usagi felt his worry grow. _She has told me her father was Splinter, yet she also calls Hamato Yoshi her father. Is she _trying _to confuse me?_

"Friends. Welcome to my home."

Usagi and Miwa turned as another tall human entered the pavilion. He wore flowing, red and black robes with a gold belt and shoulder pads, looking very regal and royal. The red cape on his back and the gold mask over his face only added to his esteemed appearance. He also wore metal gauntlets/gloves with the claw-like fingertips and a thick bush of white hair flowed down his back and around his shoulders. He held a T-shaped wooden staff in one hand, accented with gold and red jewels.

"Ultimate Daimyo." Usagi bowed reverently. "It is an honor to see you once again."

"It is good to see you as well, Miyamoto Usagi of Second Earth." The Ultimate Daimyo turned to Miwa, who quickly bowed respectfully. "And who is this lovely little konoichi? Surely not from _your _dimension."

"My name is Hamato Miwa, Ultimate Daimyo." Miwa introduced. "Ninja of the Lotus Clan led by my father, Hamato Yoshi."

"Hamato Yoshi?" Daimyo asked questioningly. He glanced at Usagi, who silently motioned for him to remain quiet and play along. "Ah, yes. How is your father?"

"Quite well." Miwa nodded. "But I'm afraid he may be worried about me. We became separated in a fight, and I really must get home to him. Also…" She sighed. "I need to apologize to my brother. I said some things to him I did not truly mean."

Daimyo nodded in understanding. "So, you are Hamato Yoshi's daughter?"

"Yes." Miwa nodded. "Though he usually goes by Splinter nowadays."

Daimyo frowned under his mask, but kept a friendly tone to his voice. "So you are from Third Earth, correct?"

Miwa went to her knees and bowed respectfully. "Please, Ultimate Daimyo, will you help me get home to my family? I will offer what I can in return for your kindness."

Daimyo only held up a hand. "Please, young konoichi. You and your friend must be tired and hungry. Why don't we eat and rest for a while? Then we shall see what we can do about escorting you home."

"Thank you, Ultimate Daimyo." Usagi said, bowing graciously. Miwa did the same. She and Usagi followed Daimyo out of the pavilion and deeper into the castle. However, Miwa couldn't help but feel suspicious of the Daimyo and Usagi. Ever since she started talking about her father, they acted strangely, as though they hid something very important from her. Miwa pushed it aside for now, yet she noticed that neither the rabbit ronin nor the giant-like Daimyo would look at her the rest of the way to the dining pavilion.

* * *

"Are you sure?" Usagi asked.

"Splinter never said anything about having a daughter." Daimyo replied. "He only told me about his sons. Unless he kept this girl a secret."

"Perhaps for good reasons." Usagi noted. "You say Splinter's sons are mutants, like him? Well, this girl is clearly not a mutant; she is a normal human being as far as we know."

"Perhaps Splinter _was_ protecting her." Daimyo mused. "But for what reasons?"

"It seems that our knowledge is limited about this girl." Usagi noted. "Perhaps it would be wise to consult Splinter before we lead her to him."

"To lead my friend's assassin straight to him would be an inexcusable crime." Daimyo sighed. "We should consult Splinter immediately."

"But what do we tell Miwa?" Usagi asked.

Daimyo thought for a moment. "Gyoji!" he ordered. In seconds, a familiar, ghost-like figure appeared, floating in the air with his legs crossed.

"Yes, my lord?" Gyoji asked.

"Usagi and I are going on a quick errand." Daimyo announced. "Tell Miwa that we have been called away on urgent business and we will return shortly."

"Yes my lord." Gyoji bowed and disappeared. He reappeared in the dining hall seconds later and bowed. "Young Master Miwa. The Ultimate Daimyo would like to inform you that he and Master Miyamoto Usagi have left on an urgent business matter. They will be back soon. If you like, I can show you to our library where we have a vast collection of the greatest works in all the multiverse. Would that please you?" When Gyoji received no answer, he looked up but blinked in surprise. "Master Miwa?" He looked all around the dining hall, but there was no sign of the konoichi anywhere. "What did she go?"

* * *

Daimyo and Usagi calmly stepped through the portal, and the grass beneath their feet turned to cold stone. Usagi looked around, a little confused by the strange looking chamber. A tall ceiling, strange window machines in the corner, a large pool of water with a bridge over it, and various other items that confused the ancient age ronin. The Daimyo was not better off, having only been to Splinter's home a few times and hardly understood this "technology" thing no matter how many times Splinter tried to explain it. Unseen and unheard by them, a shadow slipped after them and slipped into the pool behind them just as the portal closed.

"Splinter-sensei!" Daimyo called. "I hate to disturb you, but I have a very important question to ask you!" But, although his voice echoed a little off the walls, his rat friend did not appear. "Splinter?" Again, neither response nor appearance from the rat master. "How strange."

"Where else could he be?" Usagi asked. "Is this not his home?"

"It is." Daimyo nodded. "Perhaps he is above ground."

"Above ground?" Usagi eyed the Daimyo quizzically.

"All will be explained on a later date." Daimyo assured, taking out his war staff. He held it up, and blue light shone from the end of it. Another portal opened, revealing the scene of a modern building on the other side. The front of the building had a sign that read "2nd Time Around".

"What sort of place is _that?_" Usagi asked incredulously.

"A very strange one indeed." Daimyo replied with a chuckle. "Come. The war staff says Splinter is there, so we shall go there. But we must stay on the roof and avoid any detection." He and Usagi jumped through the portal, disappearing to the roof of "2nd Time Around" and allowing the portal to close behind them.

The area remained silent for a moment before Miwa's head poked up from the pool. She smirked and pulled herself up to solid ground. "Teach you guys to trick a ninja." She scoffed. She looked around the lair, noting how very different it looked. "Strange. Was I really gone long enough for Don to renovate the place? Hey guys! Dad? Mikey? Leo? Where are you guys?" But no answer came to her. "Come on guys, come out! Please don't be mad at me! I'm sorry for running away and getting us into trouble with the Kraang! But I'm home now!" She looked all around, but the lair was quiet and still. "Guys?" She cupped her hands around her mouth. "Daddy! Leo! Somebody answer me!" She waited, but no answer came. "Guys? Where are you?" She started to get worried, looking all around for any sign of her brothers and father. But the lair looked completely abandoned.

Miwa untied her green mask from her wrist and tied it around her eyes, adjusting it to fit snugly. Then she reached into one of her pockets and pulled out a small metal device, a few inches wide with a mouthpiece attached to it. She flipped the small switch on the side and put the device in her mouth before diving into the pool again. She took a few breaths to test out the portable rebreather Donnie had invented and gave to her as an early birthday present. When she realized it worked, she started swimming through the underwater tunnels of the sewers. She only wished she had flippers or something that would give her the swimming power of her brothers, but she supposed that she could spend hours underwater with the rebreather in her mouth. So she kept swimming, keeping an eye out for any openings. But every seemingly open valve or manhole cover was bolted shut or led to a dead end. So she continued to swim, her movements controlled to preserve energy.

She had to swim for another ten minutes before she finally broke the surface of the water. She was still in the sewers, but now in a whole new and unfamiliar area to her. She pulled herself to solid ground and put the rebreather back in her belt pocket.

"You there!"

Miwa spun around to face three men in black clothes with gray vests, each armed with a ninja weapon of some kind. The men, assumed ninjas, each wore a hood with yellow eyeholes and a three-toed, animal-like foot symbol on their uniforms.

"Who are you?" one ninja demanded, brandishing a spear. "Are you a friend of the Turtles?"

Miwa narrowed her eyes and unsheathed her gauntlet claws. The ninja with the spear charged for her, but she grabbed the spear and flipped him to the ground and then into a wall, forcing him to the ground. The other two ninjas came forward, each with a sword, but they too met the same fate. Miwa ran off down the tunnels and didn't stop until she found a ladder that led to a manhole several feet above her head. She quickly climbed up and slipped out, hurrying to the shadows before anybody could see her.

"This keeps getting stranger and stranger." Miwa said to herself. "What were Foot Ninja doing in the sewers? And I can only assume their Foot based on the symbol on their clothes." She looked around, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion. "This looks like New York, but then why does everything look unfamiliar? I know this city like the back of my hand, but I don't recognize anything." Miwa sighed and removed her mask, tying it back around her wrist. She made sure her gauntlet claws were sheathed before emerging onto the streets. She approached a young couple coming down the sidewalk. "Excuse me, but do you know where Murakami's Noodle Shop is?"

"Murakami's?" the woman asked. "I don't think there is such a place here."

"You sure?" Miwa asked a little nervously.

"We've both lived here our entire lives." The man replied. "Never heard of such a place."

Miwa groaned a little. "You wouldn't happen to know an April O'Neil, would you?"

"Sort of." The woman shrugged. "She owns an antique shop called 2nd Time Around."

"Really?" Miwa asked excitedly. "Where?"

"Down the road." The man said. "Take the second left and then the first right and it'll be on your left. Why do you ask?"

"Oh don't worry." Miwa assured as she hurried off. "April's a good friend of mine."

* * *

Usagi was not used to sneaking around; it didn't really suit the samurai warrior. But he forced himself to be quiet as he peered through every window on the metal structure the Daimyo called "a fire escape". But most of the windows were either dark or did not hold the being he searched for. However, the search was short (mostly because the building was kind of short) as he approached the second floor window and noticed a familiar face: a large, almost human sized rat with grey fur, tawny eyes, and tattered brown robes, kneeling in a soft chair beside a human. Usagi stayed hidden, noticing the four, man-sized turtles also in the room. Had they not been carrying ninja weapons, Usagi wouldn't have considered hiding. But he decided that he needed to get Splinter alone before getting his attention. Usagi watched carefully, staying hidden in the shadows.

"Yo Donnie!" Raph snapped as he walked from the bathroom, still soaking wet with a towel around his waist. "Can ya do somethin' about the hot water? Turtle can't even get a decent shower in this joint!"

"Been there, done that." Donnie replied as he continued to work on the device in his hands.

"Go there and do it again!" Raph said in an orderly tone.

"Why is it always me?" Donnie complained. "Why don't you ask _Mikey _to fix something once in a while?" He glanced at said brother, currently lounging in a chair and munching away at some chips. He soon realized his poor choice of words and sighed. "Never mind. I'll go fix the water heater…again." He set down his things and marched off towards the door.

"I really appreciate it, Don." April assured.

"No problem." Donnie assured.

"But keep an eye out for Kirby." April warned. "You know the guy I lease the basement apartment to? I don't need you scaring my new tenant."

"Don't worry, April." Donnie said. "I'm a ninja. Piece of cake."

"There's cake?!" Mikey asked excitedly. "I love cake!"

Donnie only rolled his eyes and walked off. "I'll be back in a bit." Raph nodded in satisfaction and returned to the bathroom.

Mikey looked sad. "So…no cake?"

Splinter raised an amused eyebrow at his seemingly youngest son, but his eyes caught sight of a shadow at the window. He stared at the window for a moment before the shadow revealed itself: a young, anthropomorphic rabbit in human clothes. The rabbit locked eyes with Splinter and put a finger to his lips, gesturing for Splinter to follow him.

"If you will excuse me, Miss O'Neil." Splinter stood and bowed to April. "I am going out for some air."

"Something wrong, Sensei?" Mikey asked as he watched his master go.

Splinter pulled open the window. "No, my son. I just need some fresh air."

"Be careful, Master Splinter." Leo warned. "The Foot could be out there."

"Thank you, Leonardo." Splinter climbed out and shut the window after him, disappearing up the fire escape and to the roof. The young rabbit stood there, waiting for him.

Usagi bowed to Splinter as he approached. "Greetings, honored Master. I am here with a friend of yours."

Splinter eyed him quizzically until a familiar figure approached from the shadows. Splinter smiled and bowed. "Daimyo, it is an honor to see you again."

"It is a pleasure to see you as well." Daimyo bowed to Splinter. "I only wish it were on better terms."

"Is something wrong?" Splinter asked.

"This is Miyamoto Usagi." Daimyo introduced the young rabbit. "He has something to ask you."

"Oh?" Splinter asked, eyeing the rabbit.

"A young konoichi came to my dimension." Usagi explained. "A _human _konoichi. She claimed that she was your daughter and student."

"Daughter?" Splinter cocked his head confusedly.

"She was dressed in black, with dark eyes and darker hair." Usagi explained. "She said some very confusing things."

"Such as?" Splinter requested.

"That her father was Hamato Yoshi, but he normally goes by Splinter since he transformed to a rat." Usagi explained. "And that she had brothers and lived with you for a long time."

"I do not have a daughter." Splinter said. "I only have my four sons. And none of them are human. In fact, our family has very few human friends. But no sister or human daughter has ever lived with us."

"That's what we feared." Daimyo sighed. "We do not know how she came to Usagi's dimension or how she knows about you, but we have reason to believe she is an enemy of yours."

Splinter thought for a moment. "It is certainly strange. But we have had some trouble recently with a ninja clan that has been terrorizing our home. Perhaps this konoichi is a member."

"We can bring you the girl if you wish." Daimyo offered.

"No, not now." Splinter shook his head. "My family is having enough problems with an entire clan of ninjas; my sons do not need to be bothered by another rogue ninja. Where is she now?"

"In my palace." Daimyo responded.

"Then keep her there." Splinter instructed. "Perhaps when things settle down a little more I can come and investigate."

"Very well, Splinter-sensei." Daimyo and Usagi bowed. "We shall keep the girl with us until you arrive."

"Thank you for your concern, my friend." Splinter bowed. He turned and returned to the fire escape, climbing back down to the room. Daimyo opened another portal and he disappeared into it, Usagi close behind. The two of them soon found themselves back in the Daimyo's palace, in the throne room.

"Gyoji!" Daimyo called out.

Instantly, Gyoji appeared before them. "Oh thank goodness you have returned, sire! The young konoichi you left here is gone!"

"Gone?" Daimyo repeated in shock.

"Where could she have disappeared to?" Usagi asked incredulously.

* * *

"Anything wrong, Master Splinter?" April asked as the rat master returned.

"No, April." Splinter waved it off as he returned to the chair to meditate. "Simply too many people out."

April would've pushed the subject out of concern for her friend, but a knock at the door interrupted her. Instantly, Raph stopped humming in the bathroom, Mikey ducked behind the chair, Leo slipped into the dome-shaped chandelier, and Splinter jumped back out to the fire escape. April made sure none of her houseguests were present before approaching the door and opening it. She looked both worried and confused at the sight of a teenage Japanese girl standing there, dressed in black ninja clothes but without a hood and wearing strange metal wristbands with spikes on them. Her dark black hair was pulled in a bun and her bangs brushed her eyebrows just above her dark brown eyes.

"Um…can I help you?" April asked.

Miwa cocked her head to one side. "April? April O'Neil is that you?"

"Yes…" April said hesitantly.

"How'd you get so much older?" Miwa asked. "You look like you're in your twenties. And what happened to your hair? Why is it purple?"

April stared at the girl. "Um, do I know you?"

"April, it's me." Miwa said. "It's Miwa. Your best friend? Almost sister? Come on; don't tell me you got amnesia or something."

"I'm sorry, Miss, but I don't know you." April said, starting to close the door. "I think you have me mixed up with someone else."

Miwa put her hand on the door, staring April in the eyes. "April, it's me. Hamato Miwa. Splinter's daughter. The Turtles are my brothers. Don't you remember?"

April stared at the girl before her. Leo, Raph, Mikey, and Splinter, all of them listening to the conversation, held wide-eyed expressions. Mikey peered out from his spot behind the chair to get a look at the girl standing in the doorway, wondering if he might recognize her. Unfortunately, he didn't recognize the girl in ninja clothes from anywhere in his memory.

Miwa looked past April and her eyes widened, her face breaking out into grins. "Mikey!" She darted past April to the chair, moving so fast that Mikey didn't have a chance to move to a different hiding spot. Miwa smiled as she stood over him, but Mikey started backing up nervously. "Oh, Mikey I thought I'd never see you again! Where are the guys? Where's Splinter?" She finally got a good look at the turtle before her. "Hey, what happened to you? You look so…..buff. And I mean buffer than usual. And what happened to your irises? They were such a nice blue color, but now they're all white. That only happens while you're in battle." She noticed Mikey backing away from her and walked towards him. "Mikey, what's wrong with you? Don't you remember me?"

"Uh…I don't know who you are, but I should warn you that I'm armed!" Mikey drew his nunchakus and spun them.

Miwa rolled her eyes. "You know _exactly _who I am, Michelangelo. And you _also _know that _I'm _armed as well." She unsheathed her gauntlet claws, spooking Mikey and making him jump back. "What is wrong with you?" Miwa started towards Mikey, but Leo suddenly landed between his brother and the girl.

Leo brandished his swords threateningly. "You stay away from him."

Miwa stared at the blue-masked turtle, noting he also looked much buffer and his eyes white. "Leo? Okay, I know you might be mad at me for earlier, but I want you to know that I'm sorry. I never meant it when I said I hated you. I was mad; at you and myself." She stepped forward, but Leo held his sword to her nose.

"Tell me where you got those claws." Leo demanded, gesturing to Miwa's gauntlets. "Do you work for the Shredder?"

Miwa growled and knocked Leo's blades aside. "For the love of heaven above! Why don't you guys remember me?!"

Raph suddenly burst from the bathroom, brandishing his sais. Mikey, Leo, and Raph surrounded the girl, glaring at her. They circled her for a moment, but Miwa kept shaking and glaring.

"Why don't you remember?" Miwa whispered.

The three turtles lunged for her, but Miwa blocked their attacks with ease. She kicked Raph into a wall and flipped Mikey to the ground. She blocked Leo's strikes with ease and knocked him backwards.

"Nobody threatens my brothers and gets away with it!" Leo snapped, swiping his blades.

"I don't want to hurt you, Leo." Miwa growled, swiping her gauntlet blades. "But if you fight me I will have no choice but to defend myself."

"If you don't back off," Raph growled as he stood. "I'll lay down such a beating that you'll have to crawl back to Shredder!"

Miwa almost snarled as she grabbed Raph and slammed him into Leo. She stomped up to the two turtles, her claws still out and now fuming mad. "What the devil is wrong with you?! Why do you—" She gasped at a pinch in her neck, and her mind became cloudy. She groaned as she fell forward and hit the floor, unconscious.

Leo and Raph looked up at Splinter, who stood right behind the girl. "Thanks, Master Splinter." Leo bowed his head. He, his brothers, and April stood around the unconscious girl.

"So what do we do her?" Mikey asked.

"I say we get some answers." Raph said, punching his palm. "Let's wait for her to wake up and then start grillin' her."

"We cannot harm her, or we will not get any answers from her." Splinter reminded them. "We shall hold her here and wait for her to awaken."

"We can chain her to the fire escape." April offered. "I've got a chain and a padlock I used to use for my bike."

"Then let us hurry." Splinter said. "We do not want her to wake up before we are ready."


	4. Connected Yet Disconnected

**Chapter Four- Connected Yet Disconnected**

Miwa groaned as she woke up. Then she shivered at the cold morning air. When she opened her eyes, she found herself on a fire escape right outside the apartment April was in. She sat up and rubbed her neck, where she felt the pinch earlier. She heard metal on metal and looked down to see a chain and padlock around one of her ankles, firmly attaching her to the bars of the fire escape. She looked at her wrists and realized her gauntlets missing. She frantically looked around her, searching for her precious weapons.

"Looking for these?"

Miwa turned and noticed the super-buff Leo standing at the window, holding her gantlets in his hands. "Leo. Give those back. You know how precious they are to me."

"I want some answers out of you." Leo demanded, setting the gauntlets down and sitting on the windowsill. "You're obviously a part of the Foot Clan. Only the Shredder has claws like that. So start talking. Why are the Foot in the sewers if the Shredder is gone?"

"Shredder's gone?" Miwa blinked in surprise. "Like, 'dead' gone or just 'not-in-this-place' gone?"

"Don't play dumb." Leo snapped. "It won't help your cause."

"Leo, enough of this foolishness!" Miwa ordered. "Give me back my gauntlets and tell me what's going on here!"

"Fine, don't talk." Leo shrugged. "It only means you'll stay out here longer." He turned to walked back inside, but Miwa's voice stopped him.

"What happened, Leo?" Miwa demanded. "I know we got into a major fight and we both said some nasty things. But you didn't have to go this far just to get back at me! If you want, I'll apologize first: I'm sorry. I'm sorry for saying that I hate you and for getting us into trouble with the Kraang. I never meant it. Can't you forgive me? I mean, we _are _siblings. You're my brother."

"We are _not _siblings." Leo said firmly. "You are _not _my sister; I never had a sister. Now I don't know why you're trying to pass off as my master's daughter, but you may as well knock it off. You're not fooling anybody." He stepped back inside. "You let me know when you're ready to talk, Foot Ninja." He slammed the window shut, leaving Miwa alone on the fire escape. Miwa glared and punched the wall, frustrated beyond belief.

"What the devil….?" She muttered. "What's going on?"

Splinter glanced at Leo as he returned. "Well?"

"She won't talk." Leo shook his head. "But she will. Rest assured she will."

"Aren't we being a little harsh on her?" Mikey asked nervously as he cooked some eggs.

"She's in legion with the Shredder." Raph reasoned. "She doesn't deserve mercy. Least of all from us."

"But didn't you see her?" Mikey said. "She looked like just a teenager."

"Even so, Mikey." Donnie noted. "She took you all down within seconds. And it sounds like she didn't hesitate."

"So what are we gonna do about her?" Raph demanded.

"We'll leave her out there for now." Leo said. "I bet you it'll only take a few hours before she talks."

But the day passed on and the girl on the fire escape didn't say a word. She just sat out there, brooding or meditating. She refused to look at the Turtles, even when Mikey kindly brought her some food at lunchtime. If she _did _look at them, it was a glare that bore right through their very core. Miwa soon decided that these were _not _her brothers; she didn't know why they were, but she knew they could not be the same turtle brothers she remembered. April wasn't sure what to make of the young ninja girl that so sincerely called her a friend—no, a _sister_. But April never had a friend named Miwa, and she certainly wasn't a teenager. Nobody knew how to respond to this konoichi that appeared out of nowhere wielding a complex version of Shredder's claws. So far, they labeled her an enemy.

But they knew nothing more than that.

Splinter breathed evenly and calmly, listening to his sons' snores and soft breathing as they slept on the floor of the living room. April slept in her room. Splinter opened his eyes and glanced out the window, where the girl slept. He felt uneasy at the girl's presence, but somehow he also felt comfortable with her being there. He stood and calmly walked to the window and glanced out at the girl, curled in a ball and shivering from the cold. She looked absolutely, genuinely miserable, convulsing every ten seconds from the cold of the metal creeping through her clothes. Splinter, curious as ever, opened the window and climbed out, kneeling beside the girl. He heard her whimper slightly, obviously not akin to the cold.

Splinter felt a sense of familiarity from the girl, though he had no idea why. He climbed back inside the apartment and found the key to the padlock. He quietly unchained the girl and gathered her in his arms, holding her bridal style as he climbed back inside the apartment. He closed the window and made sure it was locked before lifting the girl again and carrying her to the couch.

The girl moaned a little. "Daddy….."She clutched Splinter's robes, her hand trembling a little. "Daddy…don't leave me…"

Splinter's heart melted. He gently laid the girl on the couch and removed her hand from his chest. He held the hand for a moment, as though to comfort her. Then he set the hand down and tucked a pillow under the girl's head. He found a spare blanket and draped it over the girl, making sure she was adequately covered.

"Otōsan…." The girl whimpered a little. "Splinter….."

The grey rat gently shushed the girl. "Rest now, young one. I believe we will all have time to explain in the morning." The girl finally settled and slept, yet Splinter found himself unable to leave her side the rest of the night.

* * *

"I'm telling you this is a bad idea!"

"Raphael, do not speak to your master in such a tone."

"Sensei, even _I _have to agree with Raph. That girl is dangerous."

"Perhaps not. I believe there is more to her than meets the eye."

"Fine. But there's no way we're giving her those claws back."

Miwa slowly blinked her eyes open and sat up. She yawned and rubbed her eyes. When her vision cleared, she found herself lying on the couch and surrounded by familiar yet unfamiliar mutant turtles, a rat, and human. She stared at each of them in turn, but her stare lingered when she looked at the rat. _That's my father…but…it's _not _my father._

"Good to see you awake." April said kindly but nervously.

"I am sorry if I intruded on your home." Miwa said as she stood. "But I have to find my family."

"You're not going anywhere." Raph said, drawing his sais.

"Raphael, stand down." Splinter ordered. He turned to Miwa with a softer look. "Young one, do you know who we are?"

Miwa stared at the six beings in the room. "If I'm correct, you are Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello, and Raphael. And you are Master Splinter. And you are April O'Neil."

"How do you know us?" Mikey asked.

Miwa sighed bitterly. "I suppose I should explain since you all seem to have some memory blanks. You four are my brothers, raised by Hamato Yoshi aka Splinter. And you, April O'Neil, have been my friend for months now; we're like sisters. My father, Hamato Yoshi, was attacked by his former friend now enemy, Oroku Saki aka Shredder. Yoshi lost his wife and me, his daughter. He moved to New York and adopted for turtles from a pet store. He ran into some trouble; got some ooze called mutagen on him and the turtles. Yoshi transformed into a humanoid rat and the turtles became humanoid as well. Yoshi raised the turtles as his sons for fifteen years. Saki kidnapped me and raised me as his own for those same fifteen years. It wasn't until a few months ago did I realize who my true father was and I returned to him." She glared at the turtles, rat, and redhead. "But you should all know that already."

"Master Splinter was never a human." Mikey corrected.

"Yeah, he was a _pet_ rat to a _human_ called Hamato Yoshi." Donnie added.

"My Master Yoshi never had a daughter." Splinter explained. "I do not believe he even married."

Miwa sighed. "Can I please have my gauntlets back? I'm going to find my family."

"We can help you." Mikey offered. "Maybe _you're _the one with amnesia and someone twisted your memories."

"I _don't _have amnesia!" Miwa snapped. "Come on, guys, don't you remember? We got into a fight with the Kraang and I fell through their portal machine before it collapsed! But I got help and returned here! What, was I gone for like, ten years or something?"

"Listen, kid, we truly don't have any idea who you are." Raph insisted. "We don't have a sister."

Miwa growled. "Give me my gauntlets. I'm going home."

"Not until you tell us where you got those weapons." Leo said.

Miwa groaned, shouting to the ceiling. "Forget it!" She collapsed on the couch, sighing. "Where's the bathroom? I need to gather my thoughts."

"Down the hall." April directed. Miwa stomped off, slamming the door shut behind her.

"Should we _really _leave her in the bathroom alone?" Donnie asked.

"There aren't any windows." April assured. "The only way in or out is through the door."

"Her story sounds like ours." Mikey noted. "But there are some things I don't get."

"Like how she confused Splinter with Yoshi." Leo listed. "And called that ooze mutagen. And said something about a Kraang."

"What _is _a Kraang anyway?" Donnie asked.

"Perhaps when everything has calmed down, we can have a more civil conversation." Splinter suggested. "But I sense that this girl is confused and angry. She only wants to return to her home, and I believe she truly holds a very strong connection to us."

"So, do just ask her?" Mikey asked.

"We wait, for now." Splinter replied simply.

* * *

Miwa listened closely, waiting for the sound of everyone's soft breathing/snoring. When she felt it was safe, she opened her eyes and slid off the couch. She tiptoed around the apartment, searching carefully but quietly.

"Looking for these?"

Miwa sighed and turned around. "That's the second time that's happened to me in two days."

Splinter sighed softly, holding Miwa's gauntlets in his paws. "I don't suppose you could tell me where you got these? I know you believe I should have this knowledge, but why don't you humor me?"

Miwa smirked a little. _At least he has my father's wry sense of humor. _"I made them myself, fashioned after Shredder's gauntlets when I still believed he was my father."

Splinter nodded. "You truly believe that I am your father? And my sons are your brothers?"

Miwa looked down. "You _are _my father. At least I think you are. My father is a humanoid rat by the name of Splinter. My brothers are ninja turtles. This I know for sure. But…." She looked around. "This can't be my home. I need to find my family. When I last saw them, I said things I didn't mean. I have to return to them."

Splinter nodded. He walked up to Miwa and handed her the gauntlets. "Do what you must. But you know where to find us if you need help."

Miwa took her gauntlets and strapped them to her wrists. "Why are you helping me? You and your sons don't seem to trust me after all."

"True." Splinter agreed. "But trust takes time to earn. Certain actions are required if you want to gain our trust so quickly."

_That sounds so much like my father. _Miwa smiled softly and bowed. "Thank you." She hurried out the window and up to the rooftops, beginning her fast-paced journey across the city. She didn't have to get very far, however, before she found a manhole she had previously come through. She slipped through and down to the sewers, running through the tunnels and looking all around for anything that would indicate the lair was close. She paused when something caught her eye, but when she turned she saw nothing. So she continued through the sewers, searching for her family with the most determined of expressions.

Splinter waited for Miwa to disappear around the corner before slipping out to follow her. He kept an eye out for any Foot in the sewers, concerned about what would happen if this Miwa girl ran into them. Then again, she took out his sons in less than a minute without breaking a sweat. Somehow, Splinter doubted that this konoichi would have a problem with the Foot Ninjas considering she claimed to be one of them at one point in her life.

Splinter froze at the sound of an uncharacteristic splash and turned to the river of sewer water running beside him. But he saw nothing. When he turned back around, Miwa was nowhere in sight. He ran silently down the tunnels, but the girl disappeared from sight. He sniffed the air, trying to catch the scent of cherry blossoms and strawberries (the scent he picked up the last time he was close to her) but detected nothing. Splinter growled softly in frustration. _Where could she be?_

Splinter's ears suddenly pricked up and he skillfully caught the arrow aimed for his heart. He tossed it aside as five Foot Ninja suddenly appeared, surrounding him and aiming their weapons right for him. He twirled his walking staff and glared at the ninjas, waiting for their first move. One ninja with a sword charged for him, only for Splinter to block his sword and throw him into a wall. Two more, each armed with a spear, came next. But Splinter jumped up and the two ninjas ran into each other. Splinter clung to the piping on the ceiling and managed to get past the ninjas, darting down the tunnels away from them. Suddenly, something clamped onto his foot, and he let out a pained cry. He fell to the ground, his entire leg throbbing with intense pain. When he looked down at his leg, he discovered a bear trap of all things, its sharp teeth clamped firmly onto his foot and ankle. He winced and groaned, pushing himself to his feet as the Foot Ninja approached. He tried to stand and run, but two thick wires suddenly wrapped around his wrist. He whacked one of the approaching ninjas with his staff, forcing him backwards. Another set of wires wrapped around his free hand, forcing him to drop his staff. He tried to break free, his mind flooded with memories of an event similar to this happening many years ago…to his Master Yoshi. True to the memory, electricity suddenly coursed through the wires and electrocuted Splinter. Unprepared for the pain, Splinter let out a shout that echoed down the tunnels.

Miwa's eyes widened when a painful scream reached her ears. She skidded to a halt and spun around, staring with horror towards the source of the sound. "Splinter…" she breathed. She took off the other way, unsheathing her gauntlet claws.

Splinter felt two ninja grab his arms and roughly force him up on his knees. One of them grabbed a fistful of the fur on his head and forced him to look up. When Splinter opened his eyes, he glared murderously at the large, well-built human that approached him. The tall blonde man was dressed in black but carried no weapons like his ninja brethren. But the purple dragon tattoo, red dragon foot tattoo, and the three scars on his jaw gave a clear indication of who this man was to Splinter.

"Greetings, little rodent." Hun sneered. "Finally decided to show yourself after all this time?"

"You dare to invade our home?" Splinter growled. "You and your ninjas have no right to be down here."

Hun scoffed. "You're not really in the best position to be making orders or throwing insults. Now," he held up one of the remotes attached to the wires around Splinter's wrists. "Are you going to talk or do we have to do the same thing to you that we did to your master?"

Splinter growled at Hun, but said nothing. Hun pressed a button on the remote, and more electricity coursed through Splinter's entire frame. He gritted his teeth in pain, but refused to shout or scream. He clenched his fists, desperately willing for the pain to stop. After a minute, Hun stopped, and Splinter fell limp.

"I'm not going to ask very many times, rat." Hun warned. "Shredder isn't here to give the orders, so you're at _my _disposal. And believe me; you're useless to me if I can't get answers right away. So you can either tell me where those turtle freaks are now or we can kill you now and we'll find them on our own."

Splinter glared at Hun, but didn't say a word. He suddenly grabbed one of the ninjas holding him and sank his pointed, knife-like teeth into the ninja's arm. When the ninja shouted and let go, Splinter grabbed him and threw him into the second ninja holding his arm. He jumped to his feet, only for Hun to electrocute him again. He hit the ground, groaning from the pain. When Hun stopped the electricity, he grabbed Splinter by the throat and slammed him into the wall, cracking the stone.

"You really aren't very smart, are you?" Hun mocked. "Do you have a death wish or something?"

"My sons' lives are more important than my own." Splinter growled, his claws digging into Hun's hand. "But I would not expect someone as dishonorable as you to understand that." He suddenly lifted his uninjured foot and swiftly kicked Hun's face, forcing the man to drop him and giving him the chance to run. But he was stopped yet again by the electricity from the wires around his wrists, and he shouted in pain. He fell to his knees, then to his side, convulsing and shouting as the pain never ceased. Hun smirked in triumph and stopped the shocks. Splinter trembled as he pushed himself to rise. Smoke drifted off his robes and fur, the electric shocks having burned some of his fur. Hun swiftly kicked Splinter's stomach, forcing him into the small river of water beside them. Wounded and his energy drained from the shocks, Splinter could only lie there, on his stomach and half-submerged in the water.

Hun smirked and raised the remotes to the electric wires. "Die, pathetic rat."

_SHING!_

Hun jumped when a set of claws sliced through the wires, making them utterly useless. His eyes widened as a black shoe made contact with his face, knocking him backwards and into a wall. He shook his head and looked up, glaring at a black-clothed girl with dark hair, gauntlet claws similar to his master's, and a dark green mask tied around her eyes.

"_Don't you dare lay a hand on him!_" Miwa shouted. She side-stepped when Hun aimed a punch for her and she hit the perfect spot on his neck, successfully knocking him unconscious. She turned sharply to the Foot Ninja surrounding her, but the black-clothed warriors fled at the sight of their leader beaten so easily by a child. Miwa turned quickly to Splinter and hurried to kneel beside him, unwrapping the wires from his wrists. She pulled him to solid ground and put her ear to his chest. She heard his still-strong heartbeat and steady (but somewhat shallow) breathing, and she nodded in satisfaction. She noticed the bear trap around his ankle and raised an eyebrow.

"A bear trap?" Miwa asked no one in particular. "Why a bear trap of all things?" She decided it wasn't important for now; she took out a kunai and unscrewed the trap to pieces, carefully removing the sharp metal teeth from the grey rat's leg. Miwa put Splinter's arm around her shoulders and hooked her arm under his legs, carrying him bridal style through the sewers. "Yeesh….you're kinda heavy for a thin little thing. Then again, I bet you got some muscle on you." She nodded. "You must…..otherwise you wouldn't have lasted a second against those guys." She looked down at the still rat in her arms.

"Maybe you _are _my father…."

* * *

When Splinter opened his eyes, he found himself leaning against a wall with a small fire in front of him. The Foot Ninja and Hun were gone; so were the wires on his wrists and the bear trap on his now-bandaged ankle and foot. He looked around for a moment before his eyes settled on Miwa, meditating on the other side of the fire. Splinter silently moved to all fours, carefully sneaking towards the opening to the little hole they sat in.

"You really shouldn't be moving." Miwa spoke up, making Splinter freeze. "Not on that leg."

Splinter winced at the throbbing pain in his leg. He looked back and forth between his leg and the girl before him. "Why did you help me? You acted like you did not like us the entire time you have been around me and my sons."

Miwa opened her eyes and stared at Splinter. "If you wait a moment, I can douse the fire and help you get back to April's." She went to her knees and picked up some old coffee cans. She dumped the water inside on the fire, successfully extinguishing it. She stood up and crawled out of the hole, holding out her hand. Splinter took it without hesitation and allowed Miwa to drape his arm over her shoulders. She handed him his walking stick and he leaned on it and her. Together, the rat and human journeyed through the sewers and up to the surface. Somehow, Miwa kept them in the shadows as Splinter directed her down the street and back to April's store/home. Along the way, the two of them began to talk; Miwa talked about her father, Hamato Yoshi, and how he married Tang Shen and they had her. Then Shredder attacked and kidnapped her; fifteen years later, she was reunited with her true father and brothers. Splinter told her about his _master_, Hamato Yoshi, and how he did love a woman by the name of Tang Shen, but she was killed by Mawashi before they married. He told her about Yoshi exacting revenge, coming to New York, and how he was murdered by Shredder. He also told her about how he found the Turtles and how they mutated.

By the time they arrived at April's home, both of them knew each other's stories and they agreed to keep most of the details a secret for now. Miwa helped Splinter climb the fire escape to April's living room and she knocked on the window.

Mikey looked up and his eyes widened. "Master Splinter! And…what's-her-name!"

April opened the window quickly and allowed the rat and human ninja to crawl in. April ran to grab the first aid kit and Miwa led Splinter to the couch. Donnie took the kit from April and got to work on the crudely wrapped wound.

"What happened?" Leo demanded, glaring at Miwa.

"I followed Miwa to the sewers." Splinter explained. "We became separated, and the Foot Ninja attacked me." He put a hand on Miwa's shoulder as she sat beside him. "Miwa saved my life. And we got to know each other a little better on the way here."

Miwa shed her green mask and stared at each of her "brothers". "I think it's about time I was more honest with you. I know your story from Splinter; I think if I told you mine we might actually get things figured out."

"All right!" Mikey cheered, settling down on the floor. "Story time!" Leo, Raph, and April exchanged looks, but also settled down and waited for Miwa to begin her story.

"It all started many years ago, with a Japanese man by the name of Hamato Yoshi…"

* * *

**A/N: Yay! Now the stories are straight! Phase Two: How the heck does Miwa get home?**

**Just so you know, the chapters that follow will be Miwa placed in episodes of the 2003 TMNT series for the foreseeable future. **


	5. TMNT: The Shredder Strikes Back Part 1

**For future references: when I list the chapter box TMNT before the chapter name, this indicates I am putting Miwa in an episode from the series. The lack of TMNT indicates an event outside the episode plotlines. I do this for disclaimer and lack of confusion purposes. For example: Chapter Five- TMNT "The Shredder Strikes Back Part One"**

* * *

**Chapter Five- "The Shredder Strikes Back Part One"**

Splinter breathed calmly as he meditated in the chair, listening to Mikey's snoring as everyone else slept. Early morning sunlight streamed through the windows, but everyone remained asleep. The only sounds came when Mikey muttered "Geez, what died?" and turned over to fall asleep again. Splinter heard wood slide against wood, and his eyes opened.

"Your morning training, my son?" Splinter asked Leo, not even turning around. He knew only Leonardo woke up this early.

"Yes, Sensei." Leo affirmed. "While the city's still quiet."

"Your discipline is commendable, Leonardo." Splinter complimented. "Have a good run." Leo turned to jump out the window, but Splinter spoke again. "But I trust you are not thinking of going back to scout the lair alone."

"Why would I do that?" Leo scoffed with a wry smile. "Just because the sewer tunnels are overrun with Foot Ninja? So we're forced to hide here at April's like cowards?"

Splinter stared at his son. "You ask a question that is not a question. If we are to succeed against our foes, we will need to act together. As a _team. Not _as rash individuals."

"I understand, Master Splinter." Leo sighed. "I _am _curious, though. With the Shredder gone, what _are _the Foot Ninja up to?"

"Patience, my son." Splinter assured, returning to his other three still-snoozing sons. "I have a feeling we will find out all too soon."

Leo stared after his master for a moment before his eyes traveled to Miwa, curled up and asleep beside the chair Splinter meditated in. She was clearly exhausted from recent events. It had been some days since she found them and finally told them her story; Splinter's leg had healed so he didn't need bandages anymore and Miwa hadn't left his side since then. While everyone now trusted her, it still seemed so unreal that she was here.

"Master Splinter?" Leo asked. "Why is this girl here? How can Miwa know so much about us, yet we don't know her?"

"I believe Donatello brought up the idea that she is not from here." Splinter reminded him. "Something about her being from another dimension."

Leo sighed. "Kinda hard to wrap my head around."

"Focus on here and now, Leonardo." Splinter said as he sat back in his chair. "She is on our side, and that is all we need to know." He didn't receive an answer; when he looked back, Leo was gone. Splinter only smiled softly and closed his eyes to meditate.

"He's not gone."

Splinter looked down at Miwa as she sat up and he wondered just how long she had been awake. "What do you mean?"

"There's no way the Shredder is gone." Miwa repeated as she crossed her legs and began meditating. "I know the Shredder from my world, and I know he doesn't give up easily. I would assume your Shredder is the same. Based on what you have told me about your last fight with him, I would highly doubt that Shredder is truly gone."

"How can you be sure?" Splinter asked.

Miwa turned to stare at Splinter with an unnerving gaze. "I've fought the Shredder before, in a _real _battle. He's hard to defeat, which means he's even harder to kill."

Splinter stared at the floor worriedly. Suddenly, the silence was interrupted by Mikey's shout of surprise. Raph jolted awake and Donnie nearly fell of the backrest of the couch, each of them brandishing their weapons.

"What?" Raph demanded. "What is it?"

Mikey laughed. "Oh man. I slept on my hand and it got numb and it hit me in the face and I thought someone slapped me. Don't you hate that?"

Raph, Donnie, Splinter, and Miwa stared at him. Raph was the first to walk off as he sheathed his sais. "Words fail me."

Mikey suddenly flipped over Raph and darted into the bathroom, laughing. "First dibs on the bathroom!" He slammed the door shut, leaving Raph to only sigh and hit his head against the door.

"At least Mikey and Raph bugging each other is _one _familiar thing." Miwa sighed.

"You sure you're from another dimension?" Donnie asked her.

"Right now, there's not a doubt in my mind about it." Miwa assured. "After all, that machine the Kraang were making was meant to travel to a different dimension: Dimension X. After all that I did to it, I'm not surprised that it landed me in another dimension."

"We will do what we can to get you home." Splinter promised.

"Thanks." Miwa nodded in gratitude. "But I want to make sure you guys get back into your lair safely. The lair is supposed to be our—er, _your _home, and I won't stand for Shredder invading it."

"You are welcome here, Hamato Miwa." Splinter assured. "If we are your brothers and father in your realm, then the relationship shall be no different here."

Miwa smiled warmly and bowed to Splinter. "Thank you…..Father…."

"Sweet!" Donnie smiled. "We got a sister!"

Miwa giggled a little. Raph didn't look too excited, but just huffed and sat down on the couch, waiting for Mikey to get out of the bathroom. About ten minutes later, Mikey was in the kitchen cooking breakfast. Everyone else lounged about the house, waiting for the food. Soon, April emerged from her room, dressed in a pink bathrobe and yawning.

"I really _do _have four turtles and a rat sleeping in my living room." April tiredly realized. "I thought I was just having a really bad dream."

"Not easy living with four brothers, huh?" Miwa asked.

April smiled at Miwa's sarcastic sense of humor. "At least _you're _around to level things out."

"My pleasure." Miwa nodded.

April sniffed the air. "Hey, what's burning?"

"Mikey's cooking." Raph replied dully.

"Hey, scrambled is okay with everyone, right?" Mikey called from the kitchen.

"Again?" everyone but Miwa and Splinter groaned.

Mikey turned to look at the living room when he noticed something. "Hey guys, where's Leo?"

"He is engaged in his morning exercises." Splinter reported.

Donnie looked out the window. "If he doesn't get back soon, he's gonna get soaked."

Miwa joined Donnie at the window and stared worriedly at the dark storm clouds approaching New York City. "No kidding. That's one bad-looking storm."

"That sky's looking angry." Donnie chimed in as lighting flashed and thunder boomed.

"We better hope those katanas don't attract lighting." Miwa laughed wryly as she sat back on the couch. "Wouldn't want a fried turtle, now would we?"

April stared at the incoming storm worriedly for a moment before walking off to the bathroom. Miwa unsheathed her gauntlet claws, staring at the blades for a while. She couldn't help but feel strangely at home with these strange incarnations of her brothers and father. They had their differences, of course, but they were still her family nonetheless. Still, she missed her real brothers, back home and probably worried sick about her.

_Well, Leo might not be worried. _Miwa thought. _I bet he still hates me for what I said to him._

Splinter noticed the look on Miwa's face and lowered his newspaper. "What troubles you, Miwa?"

Miwa sighed. "I'm just thinking about Leo. I mean, my world Leo. I told you guys already about how I said some things to him that I didn't mean. Well, maybe I _did _mean it when I said it. But I never thought I wouldn't get the chance to apologize."

"We'll get you home." Donnie promised. "We'll make sure you get back to your family where things actually make sense to you."

Miwa chuckled. "Thanks, Donnie."

Splinter smiled and resumed his reading, happy that Miwa knew that she had friends here. It certainly eased the tension between Miwa and his sons.

"Got it!" Raph announced. "Next!"

Miwa glanced over at Raph and Mikey as the latter threw plates like Frisbees. "Uh, guys? That is _so _not a good idea."

April agreed when she walked from the bathroom and discovered the game. "No!"

"One more!" Mikey tossed a final plate. "Up high!"

"Not the china!" April cried.

Too late. "Whoops!" Raph winced as the plate flew past his fingers and crashed to the floor.

April groaned. "Why should today be any different?"

Splinter, from behind his newspaper, simply said, "Kids."

"Sorry, April." Mikey said sincerely.

Raph was sincere as well. "Yeah, really…uh….you got any glue?"

April only smiled softly and sat down at the table, pulling her hair up in its usual bun. "Don't sweat it. I realize it's tough for six, uh, _people _to share a one-person apartment." She glanced at Miwa. "Sorry, make that seven."

Donnie put a hand on her shoulder. "We'll be out of your way as soon as we can."

"Don't get me wrong." April assured quickly. "I love you guys, I really do. It's just….my place is too small."

Splinter, Miwa, and Raph joined them at the table. "We will leave as soon as the Foot Ninja are gone from the tunnels surrounding our lair." Splinter promised.

"Even if we have to flush them out ourselves." Miwa added.

"I take it back." Raph said with a smile. "I like this kid."

April looked up and noticed Mikey balancing her china plates and a jar of jam on his arms and head. "Um, can I help you with that very delicate china, Mikey?"

"I got it, thanks." Mikey assured, obviously not taking the hint. Much to April's horror, he threw the dishes into the air. April covered her eyes and waited for the crashing dishes, but it never came. When she opened her eyes, a plate of scrambled eggs sat before each person at the table. Mikey smirked and laughed like it was nothing. "Ninja training." He said simply before sitting down. He and Raph began wolfing down their eggs noisily, some of the eggs dripping down their chins.

"Say what you like about Mikey," Raph said as he ate. "The guy knows how to scramble an egg."

"So, one would think that table manners were a part of their training?" April asked Splinter.

The rat cast a sideways glance at his two noisy sons. "One would think."

Mikey looked up and noticed the extra plate. "Shouldn't Leo have been back by now?"

"Hey, of the four of us, Leo's the one turtle you _never _have to worry about." Donnie assured.

"Wish I could say that about my Leo back home." Miwa huffed as she picked at her food. "He's a great leader and all, but he can get into quite a bit of trouble now and then."

"But he always turned out all right." Mikey guessed.

"Yeah, I suppose." Miwa pushed her eggs back and forth across her plate. "I shouldn't really judge him too much; we fight a lot." She slowly stood up from the table. "April, you wouldn't happen to have a sketchbook and some pens, would you?"

"In the drawer right there." April pointed out the cabinet beneath the TV. "Help yourself. I've got a lot of unused sketchbooks."

"Thank you." Miwa bowed and walked away. "I'm going to draw for a while."

"You're not eating?" April asked worriedly.

"Not hungry." Miwa said simply, pulling out a sketchbook, a pencil, a sharpie, and some colored pencils. She took a seat in front of the window and began drawing, glancing outside once in a while to see if she could spot Leo in the downpour. _Please come home soon, Leo. It's bad enough that my Leo back home hates me. _Miwa continued to draw, starting with a picture of her dimension Splinter and then drawing the Splinter sitting behind her. She noticed that grey-furred Splinter was much shorter than her father back home. She drew each of her brothers back home and then their counterparts. She colored them in to remember them better. All other activity behind her disappeared as she focused on her drawing. When she came to the coloring of Leo, however, she found her movements began to slow down and her chest constricted. Her heart hurt to think about Leonardo and she quickly closed the sketchbook, leaving the picture of her blue-banded brother only half-colored. She squeezed her eyes shut, her clenched fists shaking.

"May I have your attention please?" Mikey's voice sounded behind her and made her turn. She found Donnie and Raph on the couch, Mikey in front of the football game on TV they were watching, and April with Splinter at the table, staring at a map. Mikey suddenly let out a monstrous burp, lasting a full three maybe five seconds. Miwa cringed and wrinkled her nose. Donnie and Raph, however, began clapping for their brother.

"Cool." Donnie mused. Mikey only smiled and bowed.

"Ew!" April groaned, covering her eyes with her hand.

"This is what I live with all the time." Splinter groaned with her.

Miwa rolled her eyes. "Boys are gross." She glanced out the window when her eyes widened and she stood up quickly. She stared out the window, trying to see through the shadows and the rain. But whatever she saw seemed to have vanished out of thin air. Miwa narrowed her eyes, but the shadow disappeared. _Leonardo…?_

"That's it." Raph's voice brought Miwa from her thoughts. "I'm gonna look for Leo so we can get this show on the road. No offense, April, but we _really_ need to get back to our lair. I'm goin' stir-crazy."

"You are going nowhere until your brother returns." Splinter ordered. "Sit."

"Man, what a jip." Raph growled as he flopped back on the couch. "We gotta sit around on our butts while Leo's out there havin' all the fun."

Miwa glanced back out the window and stared worriedly at the stormy skies. "He better get home soon or I'm going to really give him an earful." She cocked her head and then stared at the turtles. "Do turtles even _have _ears?"

The others exchanged looks before shrugging. The six of them tried to keep themselves occupied while they waited for Leonardo, believing he would be home any minute now. But the minutes dragged on and on and yet there was no sign of the blue-masked turtle. Miwa found herself pacing to pass the time, but it didn't help; in fact, Splinter had to kindly request that she stop so she wouldn't make the rest of them nervous. So she sat on the couch and continued her drawing. She finished the Leo drawings and then continued with April and her counterpart. Then she drew Usagi and the Ultimate Daimyo from what memory she had of them, though she kept those pictures to herself. April was kind enough to grab a small bag for Miwa and gave it to her so she could keep the arts supplies and continue drawing.

Mikey looked up at the clock, now reading well half past nine. "Hey guys, I'm really starting to get worried. Leo should've checked in by now."

"I know this is a first, but I'm thinking Mikey's right." Donnie agreed.

Raph turned to Splinter. "Master Splinter?" he asked questioningly.

Splinter didn't say anything for a moment, even when April put a hand on his shoulder. He knew for a fact that Leo's exercises did not last this long; the only other explanation was that something happened to him. It didn't matter the severity; he could not wait any longer. "Go." He ordered.

"I'm coming with you." Miwa said firmly, standing from her spot and stuffing her art things in her bag.

"Geez…" Mikey breathed. "What if something really happened to him?"

Miwa froze in place when her highly trained ears picked up the sound of…..shouting…. "Guys—"

_CRASH!_

Everyone jumped with a gasp as Leo suddenly crashed through the window and hit the floor, nearly unmoving. They shouted his name and rushed to his side. Mikey picked up his head and pulled him upright. The turtle's eyes wearily blinked open, but all he saw were fuzzy shapes that looked like his brothers and their voices sounded like echoes.

Raph stood, glaring. He drew his sais and made for the broken window. "I'm gonna find out who did this."

"Right behind you." Miwa assured, unsheathing her gauntlet claws.

"No…Raph…..Miwa…wait…." Leo's weak voice made them pause and they hurried to his side. Leo leaned in close so his whispers did not escape their ears. "He's…back…the Shredder…" He suddenly fell backwards, his eyes closing as he slipped into unconsciousness. Everyone gasped, exchanging shocked looks. Miwa ran towards the window and glared out it, searching the skies until she found what she was looking for: a single silhouette, his armor standing out against the light of the lightning strikes.

"Shredder."


	6. TMNT: The Shredder Strikes Back Part 2

**Chapter Six- "The Shredder Strikes Back Part Two"**

"What?" April asked worriedly. "What did he just say?"

"He said, 'the Shredder's back'." Mikey reported, still holding Leo's head in his hands

"No way." Raph growled, clutching his knives tightly in his hands. "We were all there. We all saw what happened that night on the roof."

Miwa remembered the story of their recent battle with the Shredder that seemingly ended with Shredder falling off the roof. "How do you know he actually perished?"

"There's no way _any_ human could've survived that." Donnie reasoned.

"We're not dealing with _any _human." Raph reminded him. "This is the Shredder."

Mikey gulped a little as he approached the window. "If you read comic books you'd know the bad guy _always _comes back! Always!"

"Bloody brilliant." Miwa groaned. "Okay guys, I don't know if your Shredder is any different from my Shredder, but unless you have a plan I'm going out there to shred _him._"

"We need to get Leo out of here." April urged.

"She is right." Splinter agreed. "We must leave _now_."

"But where?" Miwa demanded. "The Foot are roaming the sewers _and _topside. How are we supposed to even leave the city undetected?"

"Guys?" Mikey whimpered. "We got company!"

Miwa quickly tied her green mask around her eyes and joined Mikey by the window. She followed his gaze and noticed Foot Ninjas, a couple dozen of them, standing on the rooftops of the buildings across the street. Miwa glared, her fists clenched. _I'm gonna kill them for this._

"What's the plan?" Mikey asked desperately. "Leo's always the one with the plan. So what are we gonna do without Leo to come up with a plan?"

"First off, we don't panic." Miwa instructed.

"And there's no time for a plan." Raph said simply.

"Why not?" Mikey asked worriedly. The response came from some Foot Ninja bursting through the windows and smashing the glass. Mikey let out a small, girl-like scream. Miwa pushed Mikey and Raph back and unsheathed her gauntlet claws. The three of them stepped back as the Foot Ninja approached them, brandishing their katanas threateningly. Mikey leaped to the couch and pushed it away from the wall to create a protective barrier while more ninja burst through the kitchen windows.

"Master Splinter!" Donnie called. "Grab Leo! We'll cover you!" He drew his bō staff and skillfully blocked one of the ninja's swords, swinging his staff around as he fought the assassins. Raph, Mikey, and Miwa soon joined the fray while April and Splinter carefully dragged Leo behind the safety of the couch. Miwa swiped her claws towards one ninja's face and swept his legs, forcing him to the ground. She slammed a fist in the next ninja's face. She turned just as a sword flew towards her face and she yelped as she ducked. The sword impaled the wall just inches from another Foot Ninja's head.

"Watch where you throw those things!" Miwa snapped as she continued to fight. She kicked a few more ninja away and jumped into the air, back flipping over the couch and landing softly on the floor, right next to Splinter. She grabbed her bag and slung it over her shoulder before turning to Splinter. "How's Leo?"

"He could be better." April said worriedly. They jumped when Mikey suddenly hit the ground hard a few feet away. A Foot Ninja, much larger than his comrades, jumped on top of the couch and held his sword raised and ready to strike the orange-masked turtle.

"No!" Splinter growled as he leaped into the air, landing a hard kick to the large Foot's chest and sending him flying backwards and to the floor. Splinter turned to Mikey as he peered over the couch. "I will hold them off. Help April get your brother down the stairs and out through the antique shop!"

"Right behind you, Sensei." Miwa said, jumping after the rat. Splinter began whacking ninjas left, right, and center with his walking stick, knocking back any ninja that approached him. Miwa remained by his side, planting her feet, fists, and occasionally her claws into each ninja that dared to blind sight her father. But no matter how many ninjas they beat back, at least two more took their place. Miwa growled to herself as she kicked one ninja exceptionally hard in the chest, sending him flying back out the broken window. She and Splinter looked towards Leo, still unconscious and out of commission…and still behind the couch.

"Shouldn't he be down the stairs by now?" Miwa reminded Splinter.

Splinter glared and suddenly swung his fist up and backwards, his knuckles connecting with the nose of the Foot Ninja trying to sneak up behind him. The familiar _TWANG _of a bowstring reached the rat's ears, and he calmly but swiftly stepped between Miwa and the arrow aimed for his chest. He caught the projectile skillfully and snapped the arrow in half. "Enough! Raphael, Donatello, cover the rear! Michelangelo, I told you to help April get Leonardo downstairs!"

"Focus, guys!" Miwa snapped as she joined Splinter in battle once more. "I think we'd _all _like to get out of here alive!"

"Sarcastic much?" Donnie muttered to Raph.

Mikey jumped up as some Foots approached him and his brother and April. He swung his nunchakus and beat back the ninjas, allowing April to drape Leo's arm over her shoulders and haul him up to his feet.

"I can walk….." Leo groaned, trying to push April off him. He groaned as another wave of pain hit him hard.

April grunted a little, readjusting the turtle. "Leo, lean on me."

"April….leave me…." Leo urged. "Get away if you can…..this is our fight…not yours."

"Not my fight?" April repeated angrily. "Look, Leo, we're all family now. I could never run out on you!"

"Neither could I." Miwa added, draping Leo's other arm across her shoulders. She smiled at April.

April smiled too. "Let's go." She and Miwa helped Leo walk as they made their way for the door. April opened the door, but yelped at the sight of many more Foot Ninja on the other side, all of them armed with katanas. They advanced for the two girls and turtle, but Leo suddenly kicked the door shut and right into their faces. The ninjas' grunts of pain sounded, followed by a few _THUDS_. Seconds later, the ninjas burst through the door, but walked right past April, Leo, and Miwa as they leaned against the wall. Mikey leaped for a ninja and kicked one into his friends, causing a domino effect that sent the ninjas tumbling down the stairs.

"Ladies and gentlemen, turtles and rats!" Mikey announced from the doorway. "Run, do not walk, to the nearest exit!"

Donnie swung his staff, knocking three ninjas back at once. "Raph! This bus is leaving!" He, Raph, and Splinter slowly backed out the door, but the Foot Ninjas continued to advance. Splinter and Donnie hurried out to join Miwa, April, and Leo at the stairs. Splinter took Leo's arm and helped April support him.

"Go help Raphael." Splinter ordered Miwa. She nodded and hurried back to the door.

"Raph!" Miwa called. "Come on!"

Raph didn't listen; he blocked an attack from an incoming ninja and knocked him aside. Miwa threw a kunai and it plunged into an incoming Foot Ninja's shoulder, distracting him long enough for Miwa to grab Raph and pull him backwards and out the door. But the two of them were forced to draw their respective blades and defend themselves from incoming ninjas.

"Hey!" Raph called down the stairs as he blocked attack after attack. "What's the story down there?"

"There's some seriously mean-looking guys down there!" Mikey called.

"Mean-looking?" Donnie scoffed. "Duh."

"Don, wait!" Mikey cried, following his brother.

"Raph, we gotta go." Miwa urged, pulling Raph backwards and kicking one ninja into his brethren.

"You go protect Leo." Raph told her. "I'll take care of these bozos." Miwa nodded and moved closer to Leo, raising her claws and slowly walking backwards to watch Raph fight his opponents.

"Raphie!" Mikey called from the bottom of the stairs. "We got trouble down here!"

"Like I don't got trouble up _here?"_ Raph snapped, blocking more attacks.

Miwa's back suddenly hit April's. "What's the holdup?"

"Some sort of elite ninjas or something." April reported.

"Oh of course." Miwa droned.

"Raph!" April called. "The guys ran into something bad in the shop!"

"Hey, I got my hands full up here!" Raph grunted. Miwa darted up the stairs and spin kicked three ninjas from the red-clad turtle. Splinter soon followed, just as a ninja raised his sword and swung it down for Raph. The turtle's sais saved him from getting sliced in half.

"Go." Splinter ordered, punching the ninja aside. "Assist your brothers. I will protect Leonardo."

Raph nodded and ran down the stairs, jumping over Leo and April as he joined Donnie and Mikey.

"Miwa, you as well." Splinter ordered.

"There's no way I'm going to leave you alone with these guys." Miwa said firmly. She jumped up and split kicked two ninjas before they could harm her or Splinter.

"I will be fine." Splinter assured.

"I don't care if you could take on an entire army of these guys." Miwa growled, slicing her claws towards one of the ninjas. "I won't leave you."

"Miwa, go now!" Splinter ordered, gripping Miwa's arm tight in his paw. She gritted her teeth in pain as Splinter's claws dug through her shirt and into her skin. "Protect Leonardo!" Splinter ordered as he almost threw Miwa down the stairs. He turned to face the ninjas and they surrounded him. Miwa paused on the steps, staring worriedly at the rat. She pressed herself against the wall when Splinter threw one into the railing and smashed the wood. A Foot Ninja suddenly kicked him sharply in the back, sending him crashing to the floor. He tumbled and rolled, landing right next to the broken banister.

"I said protect Leonardo!" Splinter snapped at Miwa.

"But I—"

"Go!" Splinter grabbed two poles from the banister and broke them free, turning to face the incoming ninjas. Using the poles and his elbows, Splinter beat back about three more ninjas as they swung their katanas for him. He knocked his opponents unconscious, dropped the wood in his hands, and used his foot to kick his walking stick back up to his hand. Miwa suddenly leaped up and over the broken banister, landing a few punches to an incoming ninja that tried to sneak up on Splinter. The ninja groaned and stumbled back. Miwa planted her fist in his face, forcing him to fly back and slam into his friends.

"Miwa, we cannot fight forever!" Splinter snapped, jogging down the stairs to April. "Come on!"

Miwa frowned. She folded her hands and bowed mockingly. "Oh, Miwa-san, thank you so much for saving my life." She said in her best Splinter impression. Then she shifted to her normal, sarcastic voice. "Not at all, Master Splinter. It was my pleasure." She jumped back as another wave of ninjas approached her. She backed up down the stairs and Splinter pulled her behind him.

"Master Splinter!" April called worriedly. "He's getting worse!"

"We cannot stay here any longer!" Splinter urged, kicking a ninja over the railing and to the floor. Still, the ninjas continued to advance towards him and Miwa as they backed down the stairs.

"Uh, Master Splinter?" Miwa piped up. "I hate to bring this up now, but with the swarm of ninjas up there—" She pointed towards the ninjas coming down the stairs after them. "—and the so-called 'elite ninja' down there—" She jerked her claws towards the door. "—how _exactly _are we supposed to get out of here?"

"I'm working on it!" Splinter snapped. "Follow me!" He leaped over the railing and hurried through the door. Miwa stayed close by his side as they leaped into battle. Miwa jumped a little at the sight of the four "elite ninja", but recovered quickly when one of them stabbed a trident-like spear towards her head. She grabbed shaft of the spear and swung the ninja into a wall. When another elite charged for her, she yanked his rice hat over his eyes and wrapped his purple-red cape around his body, tangling him enough for Miwa to kick him to the ground. Miwa yelped when something suddenly kicked her head and knocked her to the ground. She turned to snap at whoever attacked her, but her eyes widened when she spied Leo's limp form on the ground just a few feet from her.

"Leo…." Miwa breathed.

"Leo!" Raph called, trying to rouse his brother as he helped him stand. But he was forced to push Leo aside as the trident-wielding elite attacked him again. Raph drew his sais and spun them, glaring at the ninja. "Miwa, protect Leo. We'll—" The ninja's attack interrupted him, and he stopped to block the elite's attack and kicked him away. Miwa jumped over and added an extra hard kick to the same ninja, forcing him to fly into a wall and slump to the floor. April suddenly screamed, backing away from Hun as he advanced towards her. Raph ran forward, jumped up, and kicked Hun back through the door and away from April who slammed the door shut after him. Raph, Donnie and Mikey rushed to Leo's side, staring at him worriedly. But the blue-clad turtle could only groan in pain. Miwa heard Splinter grunt in pain and turned to see him fighting against all four of the elites as they surrounded him. Miwa leaped into the air and landed between Splinter at the elites, swiping her claws towards their faces. She sliced her claws across one ninja's face and left a shallow cut, spooking him enough to jump back; she split kicked two more; the last one she punched in the face so hard he slammed into a china cabinet and slumped to the floor.

"Well done, Miwa." Splinter complimented.

"It's my job to protect my family." Miwa said simply.

Suddenly, the elites disappeared in a puff of smoke, only to reappear at the front door of the antique shop. Miwa held her claws ready to face them again, but they only stood straight and tall, not moving. Someone outside kicked the door straight off its hinges and marched inside as though someone to be regarded as a king. But Miwa knew, even if he looked different, that armor could be recognized anywhere.

"Oh crud." Raph said.

"It's really him." Mikey sighed incredulously. "Like Leo said."

Miwa stared at Shredder, noting the similarities and differences between him and the Oroku Saki she knew back home. For one thing, no skin shown whatsoever under the armor; he seemed to wear black clothing under the armor. He still had those spikes all over his armor, just like her Shredder, but he had only one set of gauntlet claws and they didn't look retractable. The worst part was his eyes: they were nothing more than glowing red orbs caught in a furious glare. Miwa mirrored that same glare, her fists clenched so tight her knuckles turned white. _You made a fatal mistake for attacking my family, Shredder. Even if you and they _are _from a different dimension, I'll treat you like any other murderer._

Shredder took a few steps toward them, standing proud like a king. "You freaks have been a thorn in my side long enough."

Splinter suddenly leaped into the air and landed between Shredder and his sons, glaring harshly at Shredder. But he did not attack; not yet. Miwa moved to Leo's side, keeping her eyes on Shredder as she guarded her brother.

"No one opposes the Shredder." Shredder declared. "And now I will have my revenge for our last encounter. Say farewell to each other while you still can."

_Strange. _Miwa thought as she stood. _It's almost like he has a merciful side._

"Oh yeah Mr. Spikey Pants?" Mikey scoffed. "Well, _you're _the one who should be saying….farewell…..to…..uh…to yourself!"

"Oh yeah, Mikey." Raph groaned. "That got him." Miwa face palmed.

"Hey, I'm under a lot of pressure here." Mikey protested.

"Silence!" Shredder shouted. Miwa smirked. _Temperamental, just like the Shredder back home. This is going to be quite interesting._

"This attack is nothing more than a cowardly gambit." Splinter snapped at the Shredder. "Wearing us down by sheer numbers. It is not the way of the true warrior!" Shredder's eyes widened a little, obviously insulted by such a comment. But his glare returned seconds later.

"Guys, I say we shred his butt once and for all." Raph proposed. "For Leo. You with me?"

Donnie twirled his bō. "Till the end."

"Which hopefully isn't going to be anytime soon." Mikey added. "Right?"

"His end will come before ours." Miwa assured, holding her claws ready.

Shredder finally seemed to notice Miwa and his eyes widened at the sight of her weapons. "Where did you—"

Donnie, Raph, and Mikey suddenly leaped for Shredder before he could finish his question. Raph came first, with a swift kick that Shredder dodged before planting his fist in the turtle's face. Raph hit the ground as Mikey ran up, only for Shredder to swipe his claws and force Mikey to the ground. Donnie leaped into the air and slammed his staff down. Shredder stepped aside quickly and kicked Donnie sharply in the side, stealing his bō and forcing him to fly backwards and hit a pole. Miwa growled and stepped forward, but Splinter stopped her. He held his walking stick ready, glaring determinedly at Shredder as the elite ninjas prepared to fight. The Foot Ninja behind Shredder arrived as well, holding their weapons ready.

"Finish them off!" Shredder ordered. "This rodent is mine."

"Help your brothers." Splinter told Miwa. She didn't respond, sheathing her gauntlet claws and adopting a strong stance. Splinter pushed her aside as Shredder leaped for him, swinging Donnie's bō down. Splinter blocked with his own staff, pushing Shredder away. The Shredder continued to attack, only for his attacks to hit the wood of Splinter's staff. Splinter finally managed to find an opening and kicked Shredder aside, followed by a swing of his staff that knocked three Foot Ninjas on their tails. He turned as Shredder advanced for him again, swinging the staff but missing Splinter by inches. Once again, Splinter kicked Shredder as hard as he could and sent the armored man flying backwards and into the counter.

"Why can you not do as you're told?" Splinter asked Miwa.

"I know what I'm doing." Miwa assured. "I'm protecting you and the guys."

"Miwa, I can handle the Shredder." Splinter assured. "Help them."

"Splinter—"

"Miwa, please." He stared at Miwa with a soft, almost pleading gaze. "Protect my sons."

Miwa's dark brown eyes locked with Splinter's tawny ones. "Yes, Sensei." She jumped into the air with a cry of effort and slammed her foot into one of the Foot Ninjas. "You want a piece of them?" She demanded as the ninjas approached. She unsheathed her gauntlet claws. "You have to go through me. Now come on!" She lunged for the ninjas, punching and kicking and swiping her claws and easily knocking them back. She looked around for any more ninjas, but the sound of an engine reached her ears and made her look outside. She ducked and covered her head as a motorcycle suddenly crashed through the window, screeching to a halt. Miwa held her claws ready, staring at the rider as he glared at the ninjas through his hockey mask. He revved is bike and charged for the elite ninjas, shifting the bike to slam into the ninjas and send three of them flying out the broken window. He turned to the final ninja and drove his bike straight towards it. The ninja jumped onto the bike, but the rider slammed on the brakes and ninja flew backwards, hit a cabinet, and caused the piece of furniture to fall on him.

"I'm guessing he's with you?" Miwa asked Raph.

The rider put the kickstand down and dismounted the bike, lowering the hood of his trench coat-like jacket. "Now that's what I call crashing a party."

"Casey!" Raph called happily.

_Who the heck is Casey? _Miwa wondered.

The rider in the hockey mask, Casey, pulled a wooden baseball bat from the bag on his back. "Though I've never seen a lamer party in my life!" He knocked two elites aside when they approached him. "Where's the band?" He approached April and looked down. Miwa couldn't see it, but she swore Casey smirked under his mask. "You okay, babe?" Casey asked April.

April smirked with a raised eyebrow. "Don't call me babe."

Shredder, having seen his best ninjas beaten so easily by a mere vigilante, growled in frustration and ordered, "Obliterate him!" The Foot Ninjas advanced for Casey, armed with katanas and other sharp weapons.

"This can't be the band." Casey scoffed, stowing his bat away and drawing a golf club and hockey stick. "I want rock n' roll, man. Good thing I brought my own drumsticks!" He twirled his weapons as Raph, Donnie, and Mikey stood up with their respective weapons, ready to fight again. "Now, who wants to be the drum?"

"Oh great, one of _those _kinds of guys." Miwa groaned.

"Goongala, goongala!" Casey shouted, charging into battle with Mikey, Donnie, Raph, Splinter, and Miwa right behind him. The fight began again with renewed vigor as the Foot Ninja were beaten back. Miwa noticed most of the ninjas seemed to avoid her or went easy on her. She didn't understand why, but she didn't have time to think about it. She constantly looked back at Leo and April to be sure they were safe, but the ninjas stole most of her attention away. Minutes later, she found herself back to back with Casey. She locked her eyes with his bright blue ones.

"Do I know you?" Casey asked, whacking a ninja in the head with his golf club.

"Do _I _know _you_?" Miwa countered, kicking a ninja in the face.

"Casey Jones." Casey introduced. "Vigilante and friend to the guys."

"Hamato Miwa." Miwa introduced. "Their sister from another dimension.

"Cool." Casey nodded.

"Quick question for ya." Miwa asked. "Why do you shout 'Goongala'?"

"It's like a battle cry."

"Why kind of battle cry goes 'goongala'? You sound like a chimp."

"Oh yeah? And what would _you _shout before going into battle?"

"This." Miwa leaped into the air, shouting, "Booyakasha!" as she kicked a ninja in the face.

"What kind of battle cry is 'booyakasha'?" Casey scoffed.

"Says the guy in the hockey mask." Miwa countered. "What's the matter? You afraid to damage your pretty face?"

"Why you little—" Casey suddenly yelped when Splinter's staff whacked the back of his head.

"Focus on the fight!" he ordered before jumping into battle once more. Miwa snickered and turned to fight again. But her eyes widened when she saw Hun, the same man she saw in the sewers, approaching April and Leo. She moved for the pair, but two Foot Ninjas blocked her path and swung their swords towards her face.

Miwa held up her claws to block the blades. "Casey! Help April and Leo!"

Casey turned to Hun and glared, jumping away from his fight to deal with the brute. He caught Hun's fist in his golf club just as he pulled it back, interrupting the hit meant for April. "Hun, never _ever _threaten her!" He dodged Hun's swinging fists and whacked him on the back of the head with his hockey stick forcing the large man to stumble into the ninjas Miwa was fighting.

"Thanks, Case!" Miwa called. Casey nodded and turned to April.

The redhead smiled. "Casey…I…I….."

"Yeah, well…." Casey coughed nervously. "What a day, huh? Well, gotta run!" He jumped back into battle with another "Goongala!", leaving April behind to simply smile.

Miwa heard the familiar sound of sirens outside and turned to the broken window to see a police car pulling up in front of the shop. "Uh oh." She leaped over a few ninjas' heads and landed next to Splinter. "I think it would be wise if we left pretty soon."

Splinter caught sight of the police vehicle outside. "I agree. Stay near Leonardo and help April get him out when we're ready."

"Hai, Sensei." Miwa nodded, darting to the wounded turtle. "How ya feeling, Leo?"

Leo wearily blinked open his eyes, staring at the konoichi standing over him. "Miwa….are you hurt?"

"I'm fine." Miwa assured.

Leo's eyes widened a little. "Miwa, you're bleeding." He pointed to her arm, and Miwa finally noticed the cut on her bicep that came from who-knows-when during the fight.

"It's just a scratch." Miwa assured. "I can't even feel it." Leo shook his head small and rolled over to his stomach. He pushed himself to his hands and knees, then to a crouching position. April held his arm as he rose to his feet. "Leo, stop." Miwa ordered. "You have to stay still."

"Leo, you can't do this." April pleaded.

"I have to." Leo said firmly. "They need my help." But his fatigue got the better of him, and Leo fell to his knees.

"Leo, you can't—" Miwa noticed a shadow pass over them, and she turned with wide eyes to stare at the Shredder, raising his claws with the express intent of striking them down. Miwa put herself between Shredder and Leo, holding her claws up. "You touch him you die."

"I do not know how you got those claws, girl." Shredder said. "But perhaps I will let you live long enough to tell me your story."

"NO!" Splinter suddenly kicked Shredder multiple times in the chest, knocking him away from Miwa, Leo, and April. The rat back flipped and landed softly by Miwa's side, glaring daggers at Shredder. "You strike a wounded warrior, you have no honor."

"More like no soul." Miwa growled.

"I fight to win!" Shredder snapped, making his point clear on the matter. Splinter only glared and jumped aside when Shredder lunged for him. But Shredder's attacks became fiercer and faster, connecting with Splinter's chest and stomach with each blow. Miwa ran in to help, only for Shredder to knock her aside. Miwa shook her head to rid the dizziness and rose to fight again when she heard a shout of effort.

"Leo, don't!" Miwa shouted, but it was too late. Leo rammed into a dish cabinet and sent it toppling, missing Shredder and (more importantly) Splinter by inches. The sudden adrenaline rush faded, though, and Leo fell backwards. April caught him quickly, but the turtle had now gone limp.

"Leonardo…" Splinter whispered in despair.

"Leo?" Miwa gently shook the turtle's shoulder. "Ugh, you idiot." She turned and glared at Shredder, a fire in her eyes.

"Would _you _like to be next, girl?" Shredder asked, raising his own claws to match Miwa's.

"No." Splinter growled, stepping between the two clawed warriors. "I will not allow you to destroy my family."

"Neither will I." Miwa moved for Shredder, but Splinter held her back.

"My sons, retreat!" He jumped into the air, Shredder following him. But he moved swiftly to land softly on the floor and kick a cabinet over on top of the Shredder, trapping him long enough to run to Leo's side.

"Great!" Raph grunted as he knocked a ninja aside and ducked from a sword aimed for his head. "But where to?"

"Good question." Miwa noted.

"Back there!" April pointed to a metal door on the back wall.

"You got it!" Mikey nodded, grabbing the door and pulling it open. "Everybody in here! We can hold them off!"

April and Splinter carefully dragged Leo inside the room while the others fought off the ninjas as they backed up. They darted inside the room, with Miwa the last to get in. Shredder suddenly burst from the cabinet on top of him, shouting in anger.

"You want a piece of me, Shredhead?" Miwa taunted. "Bring it on!"

"Maybe some other time!" Mikey said hurriedly as he pulled Miwa inside and slammed the door shut.

"Well this is great." Raph said sarcastically. "Small, dark, and no way out. Perfect for making our last stand."

"It's a walk-in cooler." April explained. "This shop used to be a grocery store once upon a time."

"Fascinating." Raph sighed, though he clearly did not mean it.

"Guys, they're trying to get in!" Mikey whimpered, holding the door shut.

"Well, keep them out!" Miwa snapped.

"Like I'm not doing that _now?!_" Mikey gulped.

"I don't understand why we're running!" Miwa demanded. "We don't run away from fights!"

"Maybe in your dimension, but in our dimension we actually know when to retreat." Donnie countered.

"In my dimension, my brothers don't hide in the cooler like cowards." Miwa said with a glare.

"Wait a minute." Mikey piped up. "Kinda quiet out there. You think they all just went home?"

"Yeah, we scared 'em off by running into a closet and locking the door." Raph scoffed, then sniffed the air. "Hey, I smell smoke."

Donnie sniffed as well. "I smell gas."

"Mikey…." Raph glared at his brother, who only shrugged.

"No, not that kind of gas." Donnie clarified.

"You mean…" Miwa could hardly finish the sentence as they all exchanged looks.

"Hey, this door's gettin' hot." Mikey pulled on the handle. "It's jammed! It won't open!" He banged his shoulder on the door, but it didn't help.

"Gas plus flame equals…" Casey's eyes widened. "Let's book, now!"

"We gotta get out of here!" Raph called, stabbing at the door with his sais. Mikey started pounding on the door with his nunchakus.

Miwa knew they would never make it out alive. She looked all around her, searching for another way out. But nothing popped out at her. _I am _not _going to die here; not now, not in this dimension. I have to get home. _Suddenly, something caught her eye.

The flames became larger and larger as they inched closer and closer to the gas leak.

The shop exploded, leaving behind nothing but rubble, flames and smoke.


	7. TMNT: Tales of Leo

**Chapter Seven- "Tales of Leo"**

"You guys will never beat down that door in time!" Miwa snapped as Raph and Mikey continued to hit the metal door. "Even if you could, we'd have to run right through the flames and the police are right outside!"

"Then what do _you _suggest?" Raph snapped. He and Mikey jumped back as the flames burst out from underneath the door.

"Trapped like rats." Mikey groaned. "No offense, Sensei."

"Leo's in really bad shape." Donnie reminded them as he and Splinter supported the blue-masked turtle. "We have to get him out of here."

"Working on it!" Raph assured, stabbing the door to the shop

"April, is there any way out of here?" Miwa asked. "A back door? A vent? Anything?" April nodded and moved to a trunk at the back of the room, pushing against it.

"What're you doing?" Casey asked.

"I remember when we first moved in." April explained. "There was a hole in the wall where a cooling unit was removed." She finally managed to push the large crate away to reveal a large, rectangular sheet of metal. "There."

"Then let's move it!" Miwa urged, stabbing her claws under the metal plate. Raph stuck his sais under as well and the two of them pulled the metal from the wood, wrenching the nails loose and tossing the sheet of metal aside. Cool night air wafted through the opening.

"That's it!" Raph ordered. "Everybody book!"

April crawled out first, followed by Casey, Donnie (dragging Leo), Mikey, Raph, Miwa, and finally Splinter. They ran as fast as they could from the flames, getting a safe distance away just as the building exploded in a fiery inferno. Miwa hit the ground as the shockwave knocked her over. Splinter skidded to a halt and jumped over her as flaming debris rained down on them. He gritted his teeth from the blunt, burning objects hitting his back, but managed to scoop Miwa into his arms and move her to the others. He gently set the girl on her feet and they joined the others as they all stared at the burning building that was once April's treasured antique shop. April started crying into her hands, obviously crushed by the event. Casey wrapped his arms around her, finally raising his mask to show his face. Miwa noted his dark hair, tanned skin, and kind blue eyes; she decided then and there that maybe this Casey Jones character wasn't all bad.

"Forgive me, Miss O'Neil." Splinter spoke softly. "But we must leave the past behind for now if we are to have a future. Leonardo is badly injured and needs a safe place to heal."

"What about the lair?" Mikey suggested.

"Shredder has a whole ninja army down in the sewers, remember?" Donnie reminded him. "And we're in no shape to fight."

"Hey, we don't run from nobody." Raph said firmly, punching his palm.

"And yet we must." Splinter said with equal firmness, lowering Raph's fist.

Miwa sighed. "Splinter's right. For now, Shredder doesn't know we escaped. We have to leave now before he finds out otherwise."

"But….where?" April asked, tears still streaming down her cheeks.

"Fellas, I know just the place." Casey assured. "Come on, my truck's down the road a ways and I got a trailer hooked on back for you guys." He still held April in his supportive embrace as they all followed the vigilante down the alleyways.

"Don't worry, April." Miwa assured, placing a hand on her shoulder. "A shop can be rebuilt. What you can't rebuild is a lost friend."

"Not a friend." April shook her head with a small smile. "A family member." She pulled from Casey and hugged Miwa tight. "I've only known you for a few days, but I can't tell you how happy I am that you're safe."

Miwa hugged April back. "You know, my dimension April may be younger and her hair isn't so…..purple…" April and Miwa laughed. "But I'm glad this dimension April is safe as well."

"So you're really from another dimension?" Casey asked.

"That's the theory at least." Miwa nodded. "And I'm starting to believe it."

Casey nodded in thought. "Here's the truck." He stopped right in front of an old-fashioned car, red and white, with a large grey horse trailer attached to the back. Casey tossed his things in the backseat and pulled out some thick blankets. "It'll be cold where we're going and we can't let you guys be seen. So hold onto these while you're in the trailer. Sorry, but I'm basically throwing you in a makeshift cooler."

"Thank you, Mr. Jones." Splinter said with a small bow. "You're help is most appreciated; I'm sure my sons and I can endure a little cold." Casey only nodded and helped the turtles and Splinter into the trailer. Miwa started to follow, but Splinter held up his paw.

"Miwa, you stay with Casey and April in the car." Splinter instructed.

"I can stand a little cold." Miwa lied casually.

"I have seen you shiver at night." Splinter countered. "You are a human; you can shed your mask and rest in the car."

"I don't want to leave Leo." Miwa protested. "I want to make sure he's all right."

"There's nothing we can do right now." Splinter put a comforting paw on Miwa's shoulder. "Stay in the car with Casey and April and we will let you know how things are along the way."

"We can call April on our shell cells." Donnie added, pulling out said device for emphasis.

"You mean the T-phone?" Miwa asked.

Donnie gave her a weird look. "You _really _gotta tell me more about your dimension."

"Guys, we gotta go." Casey urged. "Come on." April quickly but quietly got into the shotgun seat of the car and Splinter climbed into the trailer. Miwa followed close behind, sitting down in the corner and giving a look that clearly said she would not move. Splinter sighed but motioned for Casey to close the gate. The lock clicked from outside and the car started a few minutes later. The trailer jerked a little as it moved, almost sending everyone to the floor. The Turtles and Splinter settled down on the floor and Donnie used the light of his shell cell to help everyone see. Splinter handed each of his sons a blanket and draped one over Leo, tucking it under him. The blue-clad turtle laid on his back, terrifyingly still but still breathing. Miwa remained in the corner, staring at whatever caught the light until Donnie put the phone away.

"We should rest, for now." Splinter's voice sounded in the darkness. "We cannot do anything more."

"Except try and not freeze to death." Raph's voice said bitterly.

"Grow some muscle, reptile boy." Miwa's voice scoffed.

"If I weren't so tired from fighting Foot Ninja right now," Raph's voice growled. "I'd knock ya senseless."

"Both of you stop it." Splinter's voice ordered. "Sleep. We all need our rest."

Miwa sighed in the darkness, but curled in a ball and buried her head in what she assumed was her knees. She closed her eyes (she thought) and allowed sleep to consume her. After all the excitement that happened recently, sleep came to her like a blessing.

* * *

When Miwa opened her eyes, light streamed through the windows of the trailer and softly lit up the small enclosure. She pulled off her mask and tied it around her wrist, curling tighter into a ball to keep the cold out. Donnie, Mikey, and Raph shivered under their blankets. Leo remained still and quiet under his blanket, his head resting in Splinter's lap. The rat looked undeterred by the cold, only staring worriedly at his blue-masked son. _Lucky thing. _Miwa thought. _He has fur to keep him warm while we freeze. I hope Leo's okay; this cold can't be good for his health._

"Man," Mikey shivered. "It sucks being cold-blooded."

"It ain't much easier for us warm-blooded." Miwa chimed in bitterly. She hugged her arms, trying to fight the cold.

Donnie stared worriedly at Leo. "Is he gonna make it, Sensei?"

"Only time will tell." Splinter said simply, not taking his eyes off Leo.

"I'm sure h-he'll be fine." Miwa assured with a small shiver. "I-if I know Leo, I know h-he'll pull th-through."

"That's _your _dimension Leo." Donnie reminded her. "We can't be certain that your Leo is the same as ours."

"G-good p-point." Miwa sneezed.

"Miwa, sit over here." Splinter instructed. "It's much warmer."

"You g-guys are cold-blooded and th-there are only f-four blankets." Miwa reminded them. "I-I'll be f-fine."

"Miwa, do not be stubborn." Splinter ordered sharply yet gently. "Come here."

Miwa noticed the look in the grey rat's tawny eyes and sighed. She slowly crawled over and sat beside him as instructed. Splinter wrapped an arm around her and held her close, rubbing her arm. Miwa kept as close as she could, the heat of the warm-blood creature slowly de-numbing her fingers.

"We should be there soon." Splinter assured.

"I'm n-not worried." Miwa assured. "Just cold."

Splinter smiled softly and held her tighter. "You have been so brave and risked so much to help us in the past few hours. Yet you hardly know us. Why would you risk so much?"

Miwa smirked. "Don't you remember? In my dimension, I have ninja turtles for brothers and a humanoid rat for a father. I don't see why being in another dimension should affect that. You're all still four mutant turtles and a rat; you're all the same as my brothers and father back home."

"So, you see us as your family?" Mikey asked.

"Of course I do. And I will _always _protect my family." Miwa stared at the ground. "For fifteen years, the Shredder raised me as his daughter and taught me everything he knew. And then, in a matter of days, I discovered my life was nothing but a lie. The shock and the pain that followed were like nothing I had ever felt; it was worse than any wound ever inflicted upon me. When I finally accepted it, I made a vow that _nobody _would ever harm my family again; Shredder already took away my mother and I refuse to let my father fall to the same fate." She looked up at Splinter. "Maybe it's a little weird, having a rat for a father. But I can still see a man under the fur and whiskers."

Splinter smiled and gave Miwa's shoulder a squeeze. "As long as you will accept us, we will accept you. As a sister….and a daughter."

* * *

Everyone looked up when the trailer suddenly slowed and then stopped, making them jerk a little. Miwa looked up and noticed the heavy snow falling down outside and she instantly felt dread. _I wish I had a jacket or something. This ninja clothing is too thin._

Casey opened up the back doors with a smile. "Well, here we are! Grandma Jones' old farmhouse!"

Miwa looked out and noticed the very large, very _old _house, with the peeling paints and the shutters falling from their hinges. "_This _is where we're staying?"

"Hey, we can fix it up easy." Casey assured. "Let's just get you guys inside and start a fire. How's Leo?"

"Still unconscious." Miwa said, staring worriedly at the blue-masked turtle.

Casey sighed. "Come on, let's get him inside." Donnie and Raph shed their blankets and gently picked up Leo, carrying him out of the trailer with Splinter close by his side. Miwa and Mikey picked up the blankets and followed everyone inside the main room of the farmhouse. Inside, Miwa found wooden walls and floors, a bearskin rug on the floorboards, a few loveseats, a couch, a large chest, a couple lamps, and other various shelves and old books. A dusty fireplace sat in the wall and a broken mirror hung over the mantle. Overall, it was run-down but quite cozy. Casey turned on a lamp, casting the room in a soft glow that coupled with the light outside to give the room a more comfortable feeling.

"You know what?" Miwa said, looking around. "This place isn't half-bad."

"Told ya." Casey said with a smirk.

Mikey and Casey jogged around back for firewood while Donnie, Raph, and Splinter carefully laid Leo out on the couch and draped one of the blankets over him. Still, the turtle did not move or make a sound or give any indication that he was even alive.

"All right, so it needs some fixing up." Casey admitted when he and Mikey returned. "The place got a little run-down since Grandma passed away." April twisted the vent to the chimney, releasing an avalanche of soot and dust that created a cloud in the room.

"Mikey coughed. "When was that? In the late Jurassic?"

"Dude, you live in a sewer!" Casey countered. A groan caught everyone's attention, and the boys immediately dropped their wood to join everyone at Leo's side.

"Leo?" Donnie asked hopefully.

"Come on, bro; give us some indication that you can hear us!" Mikey pleaded. But Leo remained still and silent, forcing everyone to think the groan was imagined.

Miwa's fist clenched so tight her knuckles turned white. She took deep breaths through her nose, squeezing her eyes shut. But rage coursed through her veins like a wildfire. She unsheathed her gauntlet claws, spooking everyone in the room.

"Miwa?" April asked nervously.

"If you will all excuse me." Miwa requested tensely. "I'm going to take my anger out on a boulder."

"Hold up." Casey shed his jacket and handed it to her. "Even if the exercise keeps you warm, you ought to hold on to this."

Miwa only nodded curtly and took the jacket before darting out the door and into the forest. She didn't stop until she finally found a large tree that could sustain her fury. She dropped Casey's jacket and shed her gauntlets, tossing them on top of the jacket. She started punching and kicking the tree, using every ninjutsu move she ever learned from Shredder and her father. She let frustrated shouts rip free from her throat and didn't care that the rough bark tore open her knuckles. She continued to unleash her rage until her energy burned out and her strikes became weaker and weaker. Finally, trembling as she did so, Miwa slumped to the ground and curled into a ball in the snow. She pushed herself to her hands and knees, glaring at the ground and growling like an animal, not looking up until she heard the soft _crunch crunch _of footsteps in the snow.

"Miwa, what are you doing?" Splinter asked solemnly as he approached her.

"Venting my anger." Miwa said simply.

Splinter sighed and picked up Casey's jacket, draping it over Miwa's shoulders and gently wrapping his arms around her. Miwa buried her face in his chest, breathing slowly to calm her racing heart. "I can understand if you are scared." Splinter said soothingly. "We all are. But we can only wait for now."

"That's just it." Miwa said, her voice a little muffled from speaking into Splinter's robes and fur. "I'm not scared; I'm angry. I'm angry at myself for not protecting my family like I promised; I'm angry at _Leo _for being arrogant and not calling for help when he needed it and for thinking he could run into battle like that when he was wounded. He's such an idiot! He can't let go of his pride as a leader so he foolishly risks his life to prove he's strong. He can't understand the concept of overkill."

Splinter didn't say anything for a moment. Perhaps there were some hypocritical statements in Miwa's claim, but he decided to leave it for now. However, he had to bring up one important point. "You know, it is really quite amazing."

"What is?" Miwa asked bitterly.

Splinter gently pushed Miwa away and held her out at arm's length, smiling into her dark brown eyes. "The similarities between yourself and Leonardo."

* * *

Night came, a fire was made, and everyone settled into their temporary new home. But Leo still hadn't stirred. Donnie and Splinter tried to at least get him to drink something, but nothing went down the unconscious turtle's throat. So they could only gather around him, watching with anticipation and worry. Splinter knelt beside Leo's head, staring at him and willing his son to wake up. Miwa crouched on the armrest of the couch at Leo's feet, her hard, emotionless gaze locked with Leo's still form.

Raph punched the wall in frustration. "Why won't he wake up?"

"Healing takes time." Splinter explained. He placed a comforting hand on Leo's head. "And Leonardo is recovering from more than just physical wounds. His spirit has also been grievously injured."

"That's what worries me the most." Miwa sighed. "It's one thing to recover from cuts and bruises, but it takes a lot more to fix a broken spirit."

"How bad could it be?" Mikey asked with a gulp.

"I have seen Foot Ninjas who became spiritually wounded and forever lost the will to fight." Miwa sighed. "We can only hope the same does not happen to Leo."

Donnie stared at Leo. "You think he can hear us?" he asked Splinter.

"Perhaps." Splinter nodded, moving away and letting Donnie kneel beside Leo.

"Hey Leo. It's me, Don." Donnie said tentatively. "Listen, you're gonna pull through this. I know you are. You have to. I mean, you know what kind of trouble we get into without you."

_Tell me about it. _Miwa thought with a soft smirk.

"Like…" Donnie thought for a moment. "Remember the time I built that remote control car?"

* * *

"_Check out the turning radius on this thing, Leo!" Donnie said with a smile as he controlled the toy car, making it do hairpin turns and sharp ninety degree turns all over the sewer pipe. Leo only watched with amazement, truly fascinated with his brother's high level of intelligence. However, the excitement was short-lived when the car swerved and suddenly fell into the river of sewer water the boys stood beside. Instantly the toy car was whisked away._

"_Awww." Donnie groaned._

"_Remind me to never let you behind the wheel of a _real _car." Leo joked._

"_Hang on." Donnie said, handing the remote to Leo. "I'll get it!"_

"There was all kinds of debris clogging up the tunnel. And the sewers were overflowing with the heavy rains we just had. I wasn't paying attention to that. I just wanted my car back."

_Donnie didn't see the hulking bits of debris until it caught the stick he held and pulled him into the water. Donnie was swept away, just like his car._

"_Donnie!" Leo called, running after his brother. Donnie struggled in the current until it suddenly pulled him right over a waterfall and into a large pool. He popped up two seconds later, but jerked a little when he felt something around his foot._

"_Leo!" Donnie cried. "I'm stuck! I can't get my leg free!"_

_Leo hurried to the edge of the tunnel, his brother's cries echoing in the chamber. Meanwhile, the water rose higher and higher until it covered Donnie's head, forcing him to submerge beneath the waves. He futilely tried to pull his leg free, but it was firmly wedged between some wood and other wreckage under the water. Leo jumped down to a pipe sticking out of the cement and dived into the waves, right to his brother's foot. Donnie floated freely in the water, slipping into unconsciousness. Leo grabbed the beam keeping his brother under the water and pulled on it with all his strength, successfully dislodging the wood and freeing Donnie. He grabbed Donnie's plastron and pulled him up as he swam to the surface, breaking free with a gasp. He coughed as he swam to a nearby tunnel, pulling him and Donnie onto the solid ground. He collapsed, laying on the ground and sighing. The two brothers laid flat on their shells, staring up at the ceiling and panting._

"_What?" Donnie sighed. "Ya didn't get the car?"_

* * *

"You really came through for me that day, Leo." Donnie finished. "You always do. And I know you will again."

Raph scoffed. "Looks like you got him hanging on your every word, Don." Suddenly, Leo moaned, shifting a little in his fitful slumber. Everyone stared at him as Leo shook his head, as though having a bad dream.

"Hey, I think he heard ya, Raphie!" Casey said.

"Maybe talking to him _does _help." April added hopefully.

"It is said that the voice of a loved one can guide a lost spirit back to its home." Splinter spoke wisely.

"I guess he really missed our voices." Miwa said with a smile.

"Mind if I take a crack at it?" Mikey asked. He knelt beside Leo, looking a little nervous. "Listen, bro. Just like….concentrate on my voice. Come on, Leo, you know how focused you get when you set your mind on something."

* * *

"Like, remember that time you were trying to perfect your katas?"

_Leo kept a hard and determined gaze as he worked through his katas, his mind playing back the moves Splinter showed him again and again. He cried out in effort a few times, imagining that he was putting his strikes right into an enemy ninja's chest. Mikey casually walked past him, bobbing his head to the music he listened to. He paused and looked back at Leo as the blue-clad turtle paused in an elegant crane stance, his gaze unwavering. The little turtle smirked._

"_Hey! Leo!" Mikey called, lowering his headphones. "You seen my game guy anywhere?" But Leo refused to move, his determined glare staring at nothing in particular, even when Mikey got in his range of vision. Mikey waved his hand in front of Leo's face. "Hello? Anyone home?"_

"Nothing in the world was gonna break your concentration. But that wasn't gonna stop me from trying."

_Mikey pulled open his mouth and stuck out his tongue. Leo's gaze turned to a tired one, but he still held his stance._

"Huh. You know how I _hate _to be ignored."

_Mikey grabbed a balloon and blew it up, holding it right in front of Leo's face. He took a pin and slowly stuck it into the balloon until it popped, but Leo remained undaunted. Mikey frowned, but kept trying. He put funny glasses with a face nose and mustache on Leo and held up a mirror for the turtle to see. He juggled garlic and then tossed it into his mouth; he burped into Leo's face, but there was no effect._

"So then I decided if I couldn't make you laugh, maybe I should just make you say 'Ow'."

_Mikey took out his nunchakus and swung them around, smirking craftily. He swung one of the nunchakus towards his brother, who finally moved to grab the weapon, sweep Mikey's legs, jump onto the orange-clad turtle, and pin him to the ground with his own nunchaku._

"_Was I disturbing you?" Mikey asked with a smile._

* * *

"Leo, when you put your mind to something, you're unstoppable." Mikey sighed. "So, how about using that famous focus of yours to come back to us?"

Raph scoffed. "You ask me, Leo's not coming back because he's afraid."

"No one asked _you_." Mikey snapped, jabbing a finger towards Raph.

"You know, he got his butt whooped." Raph reminded him. "And now he's too chicken to come back and face it!"

"That's enough, Raph!" Donnie ordered.

Raph jerked away from Donnie. "Well I say who needs ya? It's not like we can't get on without you playing fearless leader."

Miwa looked up from her perch to see…..tears…..in Raph's eyes. "Raphael….are you crying?"

Raph angrily wiped his eyes dry. "Back in the day I always figured I would be the top turtle. I was the strongest, bravest."

* * *

"Remember the time I brought you to that closed-off section of the sewer? We were playing 'Follow the Leader'."

_Raph yanked the boards free from the tunnel entrance, tossing them aside. Leo tried to stop him. "Raph, we can't go in there!"_

"_Hey, it's _my _turn!" Raph protested. "You're supposed to follow _my _lead!"_

"_But Splinter says—"_

"_Splinter says, Splinter says." Raph mocked. "When are ya gonna think for yourself? That's what a real leader does. Now catch me if you can!" He climbed through the opening to the tunnel, forcing Leo to follow him. Raph jumped on a piece of wood and surfed it down the sewer stream, whooping and laughing. Leo followed suit, keeping his eyes on his reckless brother. Raph suddenly jumped off when the tunnel ended and spilled into a larger river._

"_Huh." He shrugged. "Dead end. Must've taken a wrong turn." A strange sound caught his attention and he looked down, staring into the waters. "Uh…..Leo?" He suddenly jumped back with a shout when a large, albino crocodile burst from the water, snarling and roaring as it chased the tiny turtle back through the tunnel. Raph didn't dare look back, but he felt the large reptile's hot breath on his skin. A force suddenly collided with him and sent him tumbling to the ground. _

"_Come on!" Leo urged. "Let's jet!" He leaped over the crocodile's tail and took off down the sewers. _

"_No way!" Raph refused. "This walking handbag's intrudin' on _our _turf!"_

"_You're the intruder, shell-for-brains!" Leo called. "Now let's get out of here!"_

"_Hey, _I'm _the leader this turn, remember?" Raph suddenly jumped up and grabbed the croc's snout, holding his jaw shut. The croc struggled and flailed for a moment before diving into deeper water, carrying Raph with it. He resurfaced again seconds later, swinging the small turtle around who could only hold on tight and shout in surprise._

"_Can I offer a strategy tip?" Leo offered._

"_No!" Raph snapped. "I got him on the ropes! He's right where I want him!" But the croc suddenly slammed Raph into a wall, knocking him off its snout and causing him to slump to the ground. Raph rubbed his head, trying to shake the headache, and looked up to see a set of sharp, gleaming white teeth aimed right for him._

"_Right." Leo sighed. "That's it!" He jumped into the air and landed right behind the croc's head. Raph watched in amazement as Leo pressed his fingers into the side of the croc's mouth and the great white beast slumped to the ground, unconscious._

"_What'd you do?" Raph asked. "What'd you do?"_

"_Pressure points." Leo said as he slid off the croc and dusted off his hands._

"_Alligator pressure points?"_

"_Little trick Master Splinter taught me. Come on, he won't sleep forever. How about another round of 'Follow the Leader'? As in, back home."_

_Raph stared after his brother for a moment before following him as they darted through the sewer tunnels, leaving the somewhat terrifying experience behind them. _

"_Lead the way!" Raph agreed with a smile._

* * *

"I don't even know why I told you that story." Raph huffed. "I guess ya just…..I mean…..what I'm trying to say is…." Raph didn't even finish; he held his head in his hand, his tears leaking from his eyes again.

Splinter put a comforting paw on his son's shoulder. "Your brother hears you, Raphael. He understands."

Raph didn't answer. He moved from Splinter's comfort to stand by the window, staring outside at the snow. He leaned against the window, pressing his forehead to the glass. Miwa jumped down from the armrest of the couch and stood beside Raph.

"We all understand, Raph." Miwa assured. "It's not easy to lose someone you care about. No matter how much you fight with him or how many times he makes you so furious, you know deep in your heart you still love him. Even if that love is hidden under all that hot-headedness." Miwa looked down. "Or if it's hidden under your hurt and 'I hate you's."

Everyone stared at the young Japanese girl. "Miwa," Mikey asked. "What're you—"

"I'm saying that my dimension Leo and I don't get along." Miwa sighed. "The last thing I ever said to him was that I hated him. Thinking back, I want to say I didn't mean it. But…..if I had to be honest with myself…..I think I _did._"

"Come on, Miwa, I'm sure you didn't mean it." Donnie assured.

"No, I think I really did." Miwa sighed. "He just makes me so angry. I try to bury my past with the Shredder and he keeps bringing it up. And he's actually making sense. I don't know; I guess I'm afraid that I don't fit in with my own family…that maybe, just maybe, my father doesn't really love me. I know, it's irrational and stupid. I just can't help it."

"I'm sure our Leonardo can relate." Splinter assured, kneeling beside his son's head once more. "Leonardo, my son. You must gather all your strength and confront your fear. Just as you did many years ago."

"Come on, Sensei." Raph scoffed. "Leo's never been afraid of nothing in his life."

"Not true, my son." Splinter shook his head. "Do you recall, Leonardo, our early days?"

* * *

"We were scavenging for food and supplies."

_Splinter looked over the contents of his bag before glancing over at young Leonardo, shoving an old piece of computer hardware into his own bag._

"_Come, my son." Splinter motioned for him to follow. "There are more useful items to be found on the upper levels." Leo nodded and followed his father up a metal ladder, closer to the surface. Leo stared uncertainly at the ladder, noting how high it would take him from the solid ground beneath his feet. But he pushed himself to climb after his rat father, keeping his eyes on the rungs of the ladder. _

"_These tunnels stretch for miles in all directions." Splinter explained as Leo followed. "To avoid losing your way, you must observe your surroundings carefully."_

_Leo obeyed, looking all around him and absorbing the look of the tunnel. But when he looked down, the vertigo made his woozy and dizzy. _

"_Come along, Leonardo." Splinter urged. "We are nearly at the top."_

_Leo trembled as he held onto the metal ladder for dear life. "I can't!"_

"_Leonardo, you must!" Splinter urged, his mind instantly thinking to what would happen if his son dared to let go of the ladder._

_Leo struggled to pull himself up, but he slipped and his bag fell from his hands and into the darkness below. "No! No!" He panicked, but suddenly a clawed hand grabbed his shell and pulled him up. Splinter allowed Leo to take a hold of his neck and continued the climb, his heart hurting from feeling his son tremble in fear. _

"It was then that I realized you had an irrational and paralyzing fear of heights. In the weeks that followed, I worked closely to help you overcome your fear."

_Leo skillfully performed his katas for Splinter, all while jumping from one stump to another. The small pieces of bamboo stood no taller than six inches, and Leo looked confident as ever. Slowly, day by day, Splinter raised the height of the poles and started blindfolding Leo so he wouldn't look down. Each time, Leo performed magnificently._

"Focusing on the way of balance. Gradually building your confidence."

_Leo eventually made it to the point where he performed the kata on poles at least ten feet in height, perhaps more._

"_Now, my son." Splinter instructed. "Remove your blindfold."_

_Leo obeyed, and his eyes widened when he saw how high he stood. He shouted in fear and wobbled a little before he plummeted straight to the ground and hit the safety net below. He looked up as Splinter approached him, but lowered his eyes when the rat shook his head._

"I was beginning to wonder if you would ever conquer the dark imagines of your mind. But I was unwilling to give up."

_Splinter wasn't as tall as a normal human, but he was still too tall to stand upright in the tunnel. So he crawled along his stomach, Leo mimicking his movements. They soon stopped when the tunnel dropped off into a swirling pool of water below them. Splinter jumped down to one of the many pipes that crisscrossed the large chamber and took a hold of a vertical pipe leading straight up to another tunnel far above his head._

"_We must continue on, Leonardo." Splinter ordered as he began climbing the pipe._

"_You go ahead, Master Splinter." Leo gulped. "I'll go around the long way."_

"_That could take hours, my son." Splinter reminded him._

"_That's okay." Leo assured hurriedly. "I could use the exercise."_

_Splinter was about to snap at his son when a creaking sound met his ears. Before he could react, the pipe suddenly bent and creaked and started falling, taking Splinter with it._

_Leo's eyes widened. "Master Splinter!"_

_The pipe suddenly jerked to a halt, throwing Splinter off the metal. The sharp point caught the hem of his robes and halted his descent, but the fabric immediately started tearing. _

"_Oh no." Leo groaned. "Master Splinter!" Without thinking, he suddenly gave a tremendous leap that sent him straight for the pipe, grabbing on and holding tight. He glanced down at the water and piping down below, involuntarily noting that if he and/or Splinter fell, they would either drown in the water or crack open their skulls on the metal. Either way, they were dead. Leo gulped and clutched the pipe. "Don't look down. Don't look down." He muttered to himself as he inched across the pipe and closer to his master. He finally got close enough and reached a hand out, calling, "Grab on!" Splinter turned just enough to reach for his son and grabbed his hand. Leo hurriedly pulled Splinter up onto the pipe and sighed. He still looked terrified, but not as much as before, and Splinter couldn't help but smile. However, when they began inching across the pipe, it began to creak and jerk again._

"_We'll never make it back in time!" Leo said, panicked._

"_Then we must forge ahead, my son." Splinter said simply. He reached into a pocket and pulled out a length of rope attached to a small grappling hook. He spun the hook around and then threw it, catching the bars of a grate on the other side of the chamber. He tugged on the rope to make sure it was secure and pulled Leo onto his back. He swung off the pipe, feeling Leo's grip tighten, and landed softly in the tunnel down below before yanking his hook free._

_Leo jumped down from his master's shoulders. "But…you could've saved yourself…at any time."_

"_And you would still be consumed by your fear." Splinter reminded him, stowing the rope away. "By focusing on the task at hand, you were able to clear your mind of all distractions."_

* * *

"Do so again." Splinter ordered gently. "Ignore the fear, my son. Let your spirit heal. Find your way home. Return to us." Leo did not move. He hardly breathed. Everyone stared at him worriedly, fearing the worst.

"Is he….." Mikey gulped.

Miwa approached Leo and pressed her fingers to his neck. "He's still alive."

"But he won't wake up." April sighed.

"Maybe _you _should talk to him, Miwa." Casey suggested.

"What am I supposed to talk about?" Miwa asked. "I've only known this Leo for a few days. I've known my Leo for at least a few months. There's nothing I—" Suddenly, Leo began to groan. Everyone stared with wide eyes, waiting with baited breath.

"No….fear…." he whispered.

Miwa knelt beside him. "Leo?" But the blue-clad turtle once again fell silent. Out of pure paranoia, Miwa checked his pulse again. She sighed, but then something clicked in her head. "I know a story."

"You do?" Splinter asked.

"It's not about your Leo, but rather mine." Miwa explained. "It happened many months ago, when I went by a different name and belonged to a different family."

* * *

_Kuro danced and bounced around her bedroom, smiling as her music sounded from her stereo. She grabbed her hairbrush and sang into it, swinging her long black hair around like she was on stage. She loved the experience; the ability to be her teenager self without the fear of one of the Foot Ninjas or Shredder walking in on her unexpectedly._

"It was that same fateful night that I witnessed something I would never forget. I always knew that Shredder, my 'father', was a very strong fighter. But I never knew just how true that statement was until that evening, when I looked out my window at just the right moment."

_Kuro paused in her dancing and singing and suddenly shut off her stereo. She opened her bedroom window and stared out it, looking across at the Wolf Hotel across the street. She noticed one of the lit letters flicker and a shadowy figure dropped to the ground, obviously having just been electrocuted. Kuro grabbed her camera and peered through the lenses, zooming in on the roof of the hotel. She noticed four figures, looking almost like bald humans with shells, and a familiar armored man with very familiar claws._

"_Father?" Kuro raised an eyebrow, snapping a picture of the man and four beings. "Then those must be the Turtles. What are they doing up there?"_

_Kuro continued to stare through her camera, snapping pictures as she did, and winced a few times as she watched an epic battle ensue between her father and the Turtles. Shredder's moves were precise and hard, knocking the Turtles down with ease. Still, the terrapins charged for Shredder again and again. Still, even when Shredder ended up chained high above the ground, he took his claws and sliced through the W on the Wolf Hotel sign and sent the piece of electricity, light, and metal crashing down onto one of the Turtles._

"The claws that I wear today were fashioned after the Shredder's back when I thought he was my father. I used the pictures from that night to remember the sheer power he had and to better be able to create my own. I learned to fight with them by watching him. I was amazed and proud because he was going to destroy our most hated enemies. And then he got a hold of you, Leonardo…..."

_Kuro watched as Shredder slammed the blue-clad turtle (Leonardo, she thought) into a wall and held his claws to his throat. She couldn't tell what Shredder was saying, but he suddenly dropped Leo and spun around. When Kuro looked and snapped the picture, her eyes widened at the sight of a large mutant dog and fish, reaching desperately for Shredder._

"_What the heck?" Kuro breathed. She looked back and realized the Turtles had disappeared. "Where'd they go?" She heard her father shout in frustration and then she noticed four shadows slipping down the fire escape of the hotel. Kuro quickly pulled on a hooded sweatshirt and tossed the camera on her bed before slipping out to her apartment fire escape and following the Turtles to the ground. But she didn't anticipate them moving so fast and she collided with them. She crashed to the ground, groaning and holding her hooded head. When she turned to sit up, she found a sword point to her nose. Kuro raised her head just enough to see Leonardo standing over her, holding his katanas threateningly towards her. He and his brothers were covered in bruises, scorch marks, cuts, and cracks on their shells. Kuro made sure her hood covered her head adequately, but her dark brown eyes remained locked with Leonardo's dark blue ones._

"_Get down to the sewers, guys." Leonardo ordered. His brothers only nodded wearily and opened the manhole cover, slipping down to the sewers below. Kuro thought about following, but held back when Leonardo jerked the sword towards her. She stared at him curiously all the way up until he, too, slipped down to the sewers and covered the hole._

_Kuro cocked her head and shed her hood. "Why did you do that?"_

* * *

"For a long time afterwards," Miwa explained. "I kept thinking, 'You idiot. My father had defeated you. You couldn't defend yourself from me.' So I wondered why you would hold a sword to me as though you had a chance at fighting me in your condition. Shredder could've killed you, and he almost did. Yet you, Leonardo, still held strong and tried to fight. Even after I got to know my blue-clad brother, I couldn't understand why he would constantly risk his life like that. It seemed so…..suicidal, that he would constantly risk his life. It's like he didn't know we were a team; we stand together, we fight together. Then I saw how you jumped into battle even though you were too wounded to fight. Thinking back on it, I noticed why: you were trying to defend your father.

"I understand now, Leo. You and I have something in common: we don't want _anything _to happen to our family. We can't stand the thought of something happening to them and would rather die than see them in pain. Believe me; I've watched my father come close to dying…"

* * *

_"No!" Splinter suddenly grabbed Shredder's wrist, stopping the marauder from harming his son. Shredder, his eyes ablaze with fury, spun around and swiped his caws across Splinter's face. Splinter reared back, holding his eye. He continued his attacks, catching Splinter off-guard. He planted his foot in Splinter's stomach, slammed his fist in the rat's jaw, and finally shot his claws forward, plunging them into Splinter's abdomen. A shocked gasp escaped his mouth and his eyes squeezed shut. The katana in the rat's hand clattered to the ground. Leo stared in horror, his mouth hanging open in a silent scream. Miwa, having woken up just in time to see her father stabbed, held an identical reaction._

* * *

"I couldn't stand it. I want to protect this family and I can see that you want the same. I can only imagine how much pain it caused you to see your Shredder attacking your father like that." Miwa took a breath. "So wake up, Bonehead, because I can't protect this family on my own. _Somebody's _got to look after Mikey."

"Hey….." Mikey whined softly.

Miwa chuckled with a soft smirk. Then, Leo moaned again. Miwa turned and stared at him worriedly.

"Who are you calling a bonehead, Bonehead?" Leo croaked, opening his eyes and smiling at Miwa.

Miwa smiled warmly. "Who else, shell-for-brains?" She gently hugged him as everyone else behind her started cheering or (in Splinter's case) crying softly.

Leo, even though it caused him a good amount of pain, lifted an arm and wrapped it around Miwa's small frame. He whispered painfully into her ear, "Thank you…thank you for protecting my family."

Miwa felt tears build up in her eyes. "What are sisters for?"

"We thought you were gone, bro." Raph said with a smirk.

"I was." Leo croaked as Miwa pulled away. "But…you brought me back…..all of you."

"You fought your way back, my son." Splinter said with a smile. "You have done well."

"Thank you…Sensei…" Leo smiled softly.

"Rest, for now, Leo." Miwa encouraged. "We'll get some food into you later and you'll be kicking shell in no time."

"The danger has passed." Splinter sighed. "Now we must let him rest." The group moved away into the other room, leaving Leo to finally rest peacefully.

"Hey Leo, if you need anything," Raph offered. "I'll be right outside." Leo didn't answer, but he still held that soft smile. Raph smiled as well, until he noticed Miwa hadn't moved from Leo's side. "Hey, Miwa, he's gonna be fine." Still, Miwa didn't move. Raph walked up and put a hand on her shoulder. "Miwa?"

* * *

"_We'll get some food into you later and you'll be kicking shell in no time."_

_"Don't talk like us like you're a part of us! You will __never __be a part of us!"_

_"I hate you!"_

* * *

"Hey kid, you okay?" Raph asked.

Miwa looked up. "It's nothing."

* * *

**Dudes, what happened to the reviews? Not that I won't finish this story or anything, but seriously!**


	8. TMNT: The Monster Hunter

**This chapter actually takes place _during "_Monster Hunter", so there won't be that much dialogue pulled from the episode.**

* * *

**Chapter Eight- "The Monster Hunter"**

"Another dimension, you say?" Daimyo mused, nodding his head. "That would explain how a human ended up in that rabbit samurai's world; there are no humans in his world."

"I'm sorry if my story confused you, Daimyo." Miwa said sincerely, bowing to the Daimyo. She, Splinter, and the mystical being before them stood right at the entrance to the forest, away from prying eyes and ears, so that Splinter could finally call the Daimyo forward and explain everything.

"Not at all, young Master Miwa." Daimyo said with a chuckle. "Your intentions were not to confuse me, even if your story clashed with my own."

"I'm still learning the story of my father in this dimension." Miwa said, laughing. "It's quite confusing indeed."

"Not as confusing as a human popping out of nowhere and claiming to be your daughter." Splinter chuckled.

Daimyo laughed heartily. "Well, I should be returning to my home. I am glad to have met you formally, Master Miwa."

"It is good to meet you on better terms, Ultimate Daimyo." Miwa nodded. "I was wondering….by any chance, could you transport me home?"

"I'm afraid I first must know where your dimension is." Daimyo explained. "Do you know?"

Miwa sighed. "Afraid not."

Daimyo thought for a moment. "I will do a little digging. Perhaps I shall come across it. When I do, I shall come for you immediately and transport you home."

"You are very kind, Daimyo." Miwa bowed respectfully. "Thank you so much."

"Of course." Daimyo nodded. "Any friend or child of Splinter's is a friend or child of mine. But, for now, I must leave you. I will come to you if I find anything."

"Thank you, old friend." Splinter and Miwa bowed their heads, not raising them until the Daimyo disappeared. "At least now he knows you are a friend."

"Yeah." Miwa sighed as she and Splinter stood. "I only wish he could get me home." Splinter nodded in understanding as the two returned to the house and walked inside. The only ones in the room were April (currently mopping the floor) and Donnie (currently tinkering with the broken toaster). Everyone else was kind of scattered about the property. A few days of rest and a little work at the farm and the house looked almost brand new, complete with fixed shutters and clean rooms. Leo still needed to heal from his beatings, and he didn't look too happy that he was forced to stay in bed for a few days. Even after he was allowed to rise and move, the bandages he wore restricted his movements.

Splinter and Miwa sat in front of the roaring fire in the fireplace and began meditating peacefully. However, the peace was soon interrupted by the door swinging open, heavy footsteps clunking inside, and April screaming.

"Casey Jones!" April snapped. "I just mopped the floor!" She swung the mop in her hands towards him. "Out! You big, careless—"

"Hey!" Casey yelped when the mop hit his backside. "You can't kick me outta here, Girl-zilla! This is _my _grandma's house, so it's _my _house!"

April glared at him, looking ready to whack his head clean off with the mop.

Casey gulped a little. "Uh guys, I'll be outside if anyone needs me." He immediately walked out the door, still leaving snow tracks on the floor. Splinter chuckled at the situation, obviously amused.

"What are _you _chuckling about?" Miwa smirked, her eyes still closed.

"Just how easily it is for such a strong man as Casey Jones to be overpowered by April O'Neil's fierce temper." Splinter said simply.

"Or her fiercer tongue." Miwa added.

"Yeah, right." April growled, marching into the kitchen. "If I need a Neanderthal I'll give a yell!" She slammed the door shut.

Raph yawned a little as he came down the stairs. "Hey, where is everybody?"

"Casey's been ejected from the ballpark." Donnie laughed. "And April's in the kitchen. I think Mikey's out exploring in the woods."

"Despite explicit instructions to stay near the house." Splinter added.

"You sound like that's a surprise." Miwa piled on.

"And Leo?" Raph asked.

"He's…he's kinda been moping around in the barn all morning." Donnie reported.

"Again?" Raph sighed.

"Your brother has suffered injuries both physical and spiritual, Raphael." Splinter explained. "And he will need the support of all of us if his wounds are to fully heal."

Miwa finally opened her eyes and sighed. "I don't understand why he's so depressed. I mean, you win some you lose some. He's a mutant but he's not invincible."

"When one's spirit is broken, it can be very hard to fix." Splinter reminded her. "For Leonardo, both his spirit and his pride must heal from being hurt so badly."

Miwa stared at the flames in the fireplace for a while. April suddenly stomped in the room and plopped down on the couch, folding her arms. "Ugh, what is it about Casey that gets under my skin? He's so…so…..UGH!"

_Oh please continue. _Miwa smirked. _This is amusing to listen to._

"Master Splinter, maybe you could teach me to meditate so I wouldn't be so angry at him." April requested kindly.

"Even meditation has its limits." Splinter said.

"The problem is, April, you don't hang around enough boys." Miwa shrugged.

"And _you _do?" April scoffed.

"You kidding?" Miwa smirked. "I was raised to be a tough-as-nails ninja and then got plopped in a family of mutant turtles, who are teenagers, who are _boys_, who can be so annoying sometimes that I threaten their lives just to get them to shut up."

April laughed. "You're kidding!"

"Nope." Miwa shook her head. "Sometimes, I have to wrestle them to the ground and give them a Chinese torture."

Everyone laughed, even Donnie and Raph. Suddenly, the sound of screeching tires sounded from outside. Everyone froze, staring towards the windows. April stood to draw the shades, but when she looked back at everyone they had pressed themselves against a door, hid under a table, crouched under a windowsill, or disappeared behind the loveseat.

"Where are Mikey, Leo, and Casey again?" Miwa asked as she pressed her ear against the door.

"They're all outside." Donnie said under the windowsill.

"Leo's out in the barn and Mikey's supposedly in the forest." Raph reported from under the table.

"Let us hope our guests are not enemies." Splinter's voice sounded from the loveseat.

Miwa listened closely to the voices outside.

"Welcome, adventure seekers, to another action-packed episode of 'The Monster Hunter'! Once again, I, Dr. Abigail Finn, am close to bagging a mysterious creature. The ohonto worgra, or legendary Green Man of the Woods. Like the Yeti, Sasquatch, and Bigfoot—"

"Whoa, whoa! Hold it! Hold up! Cut! Stop the cameras, lady! This is private property! Ow! Ow-wow-ow!"

"Sir, what can you tell our viewers about the recent sightings of the Green Man in these woods beyond your home?"

"Why do I get the feeling she means Mikey?" Raph groaned.

"I told him to stay near the house." Splinter said, peering from behind the seat. "He must've strayed farther into the woods than we thought."

"Casey _did_ say he had a neighbor that lived far into the forest." April said. "Maybe Mikey wandered too close to his property line."

"Guys, we better help Casey out." Miwa reported. "Whoever this Abigail Finn is, she's really grilling him."

"I got it." April assured. Miwa scooted out of the way as April walked outside, clearing her throat politely. "Hi there. Don't mind him. He's kind of the village idiot."

"Yeah, just like Mikey." Raph huffed.

"Shut it, Raph!" Miwa hissed. "Where _is_ Mikey?"

"Right here." Donnie said, standing and leaning out the window to stare at his brother. He tapped the turtle on the head, spooking him slightly.

"Donatello!" Mikey whined. "Give me a heart attack why don't ya?"

"Don't tempt me, Lame Brain." Donnie said in a soft voice. "Do you have any idea who that is out there?" Mikey only shrugged. "That's Dr. Abigail Finn. A brilliant technologist, gifted biologist."

"Sounds like your type, brainiac." Mikey huffed.

"She's also a certifiable lunatic." Donnie added. "Goes around hunting monsters."

"She ever find any?" Mikey asked.

"Not yet." Donnie shook his head. "But the way she's drooling over that video of you, you may get to be her first." He shut the window without another word, leaving poor Mikey outside to dread over the situation.

"Well, nice knowing ya bro." Raph shrugged.

"Shouldn't we try and help him?" Miwa asked. "Wouldn't it be, you know, _bad _if this 'certifiable lunatic' gets a hold of Mikey?"

"He got himself into this, he can get himself out." Raph huffed.

"Raphael, despite your brother's insolence, it would not be very responsible of us to lead a lamb to slaughter." Splinter said.

Miwa listened again and heard the car outside rev up and speed away. "I think Dr. Lunacy is gone." She jumped away from the door as April, Casey, and Mikey hurried inside. Raph, Donnie, and Splinter came from their hiding places and everyone stared at Mikey expectantly.

"You got anything to say, Michelangelo?" Miwa asked.

"I say we go after that video tape!" Mikey urged.

"Maybe this crazy doctor monster person will just give up and go away?" April suggested.

"Dr. Abigail Finn doesn't give up." Donnie said. "If she can't find what she's looking for out there, she'll come looking in here. She's _obsessed _with monster hunting."

Splinter thought for a moment. "Those who become obsessed are often their own worst enemy."

Miwa glanced out the window. "Wonder how Leo's doing."

Raph followed her gaze. "I'll go check on him. You guys work on Mikey's little monster problem." He chuckled as he walked out, as though he enjoyed the thought of Mikey in trouble. Then again….

_Stay strong, Leonardo. _Miwa sighed silently. _I know you can do it._

* * *

_Miwa looked all around her, staring at the city skyline all around her. She looked down over the edge to find herself on a tall building, maybe forty stories high possibly more. The top of the building had a sort of old Japanese-style roofing and a large, three-toed dragon foot symbol lit up on the side. Below, the streets were clouded in fog._

"_Where am I?" Miwa breathed._

_Suddenly, flames erupted from the ground and surrounded the area around Miwa. She heard blades clashing and spun around. Her eyes widened when she saw her father, her _real _father, wielding a katana and slashing the blade towards Shredder. And it was _her _Shredder; the Oroku Saki she knew back home. The tall, brown/black furred rat used his katana with skill and grace, his red-brown eyes locked in a hard glare as he fought. Shredder slashed his claws towards his old foe, attempting to stab the rat and kill him. Suddenly, Shredder kicked Splinter _hard _in the stomach and sent the rat flying backwards. _

"_Dad!" Miwa darted for her father, but a voice made her pause._

"_Miwa! Miwa, help me!"_

_Miwa skidded to a halt and turned to the source of the voice. She rushed to the edge of the building and her eyes widened. A grey rat with tawny eyes, dressed in tattered robes and clinging to a ledge some feet below the edge._

_It was Splinter….from the dimension she was currently trapped in._

"_Splinter?" Miwa looked back and forth between the two reincarnations of her father, confused beyond belief but pushing it aside for now. "Hold on, just….uh…" She spied a length of rope beside her and lowered it down to Splinter, who grabbed it and allowed Miwa to pull him to solid ground. "Stay here." Miwa ordered before darting off to help her dimension Splinter. But she once again stopped when she saw her father lying on the ground, almost motionless. When he tried to rise, Shredder stomped his foot on his back and pinned Splinter to the ground, unsheathing his gauntlet claws and aiming them for Splinter's head._

"_Shredder!" Miwa shouted. "Let him go or so help me—"_

"_You will do nothing."_

_Miwa spun around. She noticed the other Shredder, the one with the glowing red eyes and the permanent glare. He held grey Splinter's arm tightly and twisted it painfully behind his back, keeping Splinter immobilized in his grasp. "You will have to make a choice, girl. Which of these rats do you care about more?"_

"_What are you talking about?" Miwa demanded. _

"_These two may both be your father," Miwa's dimension Shredder sneered. "but you must choose which one you are the closest to. Who do you care about more? Your real father or the rodent that looks just like him?"_

_Miwa blinked and suddenly found herself on a large platform, high above the city. A Shredder and a Splinter stood on either end of the platform: the grey rat and red-eyed Shredder on one end and the scarred Shredder and brown/black furred Splinter on the other. Both Shredders held their claws to the Splinters' throats, ready to strike in an instant._

"_You have until three." The Shredders said simultaneously._

_Miwa looked back and forth between the two rats, both staring at her with pleading eyes._

"_One…."_

_They looked so scared, so helpless, and Miwa wanted to help them. But she couldn't move. Her feet were almost literally glued to the floor._

"_Two…."_

_She had to save them. Both of them. She couldn't be an orphan again. So why couldn't she move?_

"_Three."_

_SHING!_

_Blood spilled to the floor._

"_No!"_

* * *

Miwa screamed as she bolted upright, panting and letting out a small scream now and then. Her nails dug into the fabric of the couch and her eyes darted around wildly. She panted and her body shook as though she were having a panic attack.

"Miwa!"

Miwa jumped and suddenly fell off the couch. She hit the wooden floor hard and laid there, breathing so hard and fast she almost started hyperventilating.

"Miwa…"

She felt a pair of clawed hands take her arms and pull her upright. She looked up and her dark brown eyes met Splinter's light tawny ones. The grey Splinter; the Splinter that accepted her so quickly into his strange little family; the Splinter that she watched die along with…

Miwa suddenly lunged and wrapped her arms around Splinter's chest, shaking uncontrollably and letting her tears fall. Splinter held her close, shushing her and gently petting her hair. "It's all right…..it's all right…I'm right here….I won't go anywhere…"

Miwa didn't answer. She kept her face buried in Splinter's chest, her tears soaking through is robes and fur. Her breathing became choppy and uncontrolled, convulsing now and then. She let Splinter's soft voice slowly calm her down until she stopped shaking and crying and only hung there limply, keeping her forehead pressed against Splinter's chest.

"Miwa, what happened?" Splinter asked.

Miwa took a breath and pushed away from the rat. "Just a bad dream."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Splinter asked.

Miwa looked up, her hair falling around her face but doing nothing to hide her tears. "I….watched you die…"

Splinter's eyes softened and he pulled her into another comforting embrace. He didn't push her to say anything else; he just let her take in his comfort until she calmed down enough to finally look like nothing had happened. Splinter helped her sit on the couch and returned to his meditating, occasionally glancing over at Miwa as she curled in a ball and stared into space.

Mikey and Donnie soon returned to the house from their little adventure trying to foil Abigail Finn's plan, which only seemed to end in them becoming half-frozen. They told their story about almost becoming instantly frozen while Casey got them some blankets and April filled a basin with hot water for their feet.

"I can't believe you bozos walked right into a trap!" Casey said incredulously.

"I believe it." Splinter said.

"All I know is that it's a good thing the Green Man's not real." Donnie said. "If that Dr. Finn ever got her hands on him, sheesh!"

"Hey, that's it!" Mikey said suddenly. "Little Miss Monster Hunter is still out there hunting the Green Man, right? She wants Green Men? We'll give her some! Serious, butt-kicking, ninja green men!" Everyone stared at him strangely. "I have a plan."

"Oh, this oughtta to be good." Casey groaned.

"Just trust me." Mikey assured, tossing the blanket off him. "Come on!" He made a break for the door, Donnie and Casey close behind. Suddenly, Miwa jumped between Mikey and the door, glaring harshly. "Uh…Miwa? Could you take a few steps to your left?"

"Give me one very, _very _good reason," Miwa said, stepping forward and forcing Mikey to back up. "Why I should let you walk out that door and go into the forest where a crazy monster hunter is there waiting to kill you!"

Mikey's carapace suddenly hit the railing of the stairs. He stopped and stared at Miwa's fierce glare. "Um….because we have to _stop _said crazy monster hunter?"

Miwa grabbed the front of his plastron and hoisted him off his feet. "That's not even a _good _reason and I asked for a very _very _good reason."

"Miwa, she won't stop hunting me or Donnie." Mikey protested. "My plan will stop her once and for all."

"What makes you think I would let you go out there and risk your life like that?" Miwa demanded.

"Like you could stop me!" Mikey snapped.

Miwa glared and swung Mikey around, slamming him into the floor and holding her claws to his face. "Believe me, Michelangelo, I am _very _capable of stopping you."

"Miwa, let them go." Splinter ordered gently as he approached.

Miwa looked up and tucked her hand behind her ears. "Are you insane?"

"Though Michelangelo got himself into this mess through his foolishness," Splinter explained. "I am a witness to the success of his plans. No matter how ludicrous they may be, they work."

Miwa glared at Splinter, but her eyes also shown with worry. Mikey noticed and put his hand on Miwa's. "Miwa, I promise I'll be safe. I just want to clean up my mess. Can I please go?"

Miwa looked down at Mikey and sighed through her nose. She stood up straight and sheathed her gauntlet claws. "You better come back alive or I will peel you from your shell and turn you into turtle soup." She turned and stomped up the stairs. "Do not disturb me; I am going to meditate."

* * *

Miwa stood right in front of the window. She stared out at the trees, watching and waiting since last night. She didn't get a wink of sleep; too worried over whether or not Mikey, Donnie, and Casey would return. Nobody dared to bother her except Splinter, but even he couldn't get her to speak or even look at him. Miwa didn't move until she noticed two familiar green beings, running from the trees and laughing on the way to the house. April and Splinter appeared, walking from the house towards the incoming group. Mikey showed them a tape they had, most likely stolen from Dr. Abigail Finn. Donnie talked with Splinter and April on the porch while Mikey began pulling out the reel of film from the tape. Minutes later, Casey appeared from the trees, dressed in a strange, furry costume. Everyone else started laughing at the poor man; even Miwa found it funny, but her laugh died in her throat. Casey talked to everyone, most likely about the success of the plan. Then, Raph appeared, looking pretty happy if not proud. He pointed to the barn and walked towards it, everyone else following him. He pushed open the doors and announced something to the group. Miwa moved just enough to see Leo step from the shadows, two newly made swords in hand. Everyone gathered around him, smiling proudly.

"Guys, I think it's time we returned to New York." Leo announced. "And finish our business with the Shredder. Once and for all."

For once, his brothers shared a mutual agreement, and they raised their weapons with a cheer. Nothing could stop them, not even the Shredder.

_Crunch….crunch…..crunch…._

Everyone turned as Miwa's footsteps approached. They stared at her, noting the glare in her eyes and said glare locked onto Leo. They stepped aside, not wanting to get between Miwa (and her claws) and her target. Leo held his swords ready, out of pure instinct, and prepared for whatever Miwa would do.

Miwa stepped in front of Leo and unsheathed her claws. She put the point of her claws under Leo's chin and tilted it up slightly. "I don't know what your plan is for our return to New York, but I don't care. Whether it's hiding from Shredder or fighting him and ending him, I want you to know this: I will stand by you every step of the way."

Leo smiled and gently moved the claws away. "I would be honored to have my sister fight by my side."

Miwa smiled broadly. "So, what exactly _is_ your plan?"

The Turtles exchanged looks. "Uh…..haven't gotten that far yet." Leo admitted.

* * *

**At least they have a _partial _plan! :) Until the next chapter!**


	9. TMNT: Return to New York Part One

**Chapter Nine- "Return to New York Part One"**

Leo pressed himself to the brick wall as much as he could, taking in his surroundings and searching for anything out of the ordinary. He looked to Miwa, standing right behind him, and she nodded to assure him it looked safe. Leo gestured to Raph, who silently dropped down from the ladder he hung from.

"All clear." Raph called softly. Casey appeared around the corner, tiptoeing carefully down towards the terrapins and human. His foot, however, decided it was necessary to kick a stray can and send the loud echoes down the tunnels and through the sewers. Miwa face palmed.

"Nice one, Casey." Donnie groaned.

"Why don't you just broadcast it to the Foot Ninjas?" Mikey added as he, Donnie, Splinter, and April appeared from the shadows.

"What Foot Ninjas?" Casey scoffed. "I'm telling ya there's nobody down here!"

Splinter paused and sniffed the air, his sensitive nose picking up the usual scents of the sewer, but nothing that would indicate the Foot were nearby. "I believe you may be right, Mr. Jones."

"Well, that'd be a first." April smirked.

_We don't even _have _a Casey Jones in my dimension, _Miwa thought. _And even _I _can agree. _"So, where exactly _is _the lair?"

"Right here." Donnie said, approaching the pipes on the wall in front of them. He pulled on a pipe like a lever, causing other pipes to move in a chain reaction. Donnie twisted a wheel and a section of a pipe opened like a panel, revealing a keypad. Donnie pressed in some numbers and the wall suddenly began to move. Miwa watched, with wide eyes, as the entire wall rose to reveal the lair she previously entered upon arriving in this dimension. Miwa knew at once it had to be the Turtle Lair she knew and loved, even if the details were different.

"Welcome home, everybody." Donnie sighed as they journeyed inside.

Leo sighed. "Just like we left it."

"Cool." Raph nodded.

"Home sweet home!" Mikey cheered.

Miwa nodded, musing over the look of the lair. "Not bad; not bad at all."

"Is it anything like your lair back home?" Splinter asked.

"Nope." Miwa shook her head. "But it's still pretty sweet."

"And you were worried the Foot would find this place, Mikey!" Donnie scoffed, rebooting his computers.

"Heck yeah!" Mikey called from the kitchen. "I couldn't bear the thought of harming my babies!"

"When he says 'babies'," Miwa guessed. "I'm assuming he means his snacks."

"That is a given." Splinter chuckled.

"I don't get it." Raph growled a little, beating at his punching bag. "Last time the sewers were crawling with Foot goons searching for us! Why would Shredder just send them all home?"

"Maybe he thinks there's no one left to search _for_." Leo suggested.

Raph gave Leo a look. "You know, being dead might have its advantages."

"Yeah." Leo agreed. "It just might give us the element of surprise."

Casey and Mikey appeared from the kitchen. "Are you thinking what I think you're thinking?" Mikey asked.

"I think he's thinking what you think he's thinking." Donnie said.

"If he's thinking what I'm thinking," Raph said. "Then I'm thinking we shouldn't just be thinking." He turned to Casey and Mikey. "What are you thinking?"

Casey only stared, looking confused beyond belief.

"I'm thinking Neanderthal Boy might explode any second now." Miwa sassed.

"Shredder believes us vanquished in the explosion at Miss O'Neil's." Splinter explained. "Thus leaving our enemy vulnerable to a surprise attack."

Casey smiled, finally looking like he understood.

Leo thought for a moment. "Okay, if we're gonna do this, we need to find out everything we can about Foot Headquarters."

"I don't know if I can hack into that system." Donnie admitted as he typed away on his computer. "It was designed by Dr. Baxter Stockman himself."

"You guys have a Baxter Stockman too?" Miwa asked.

"Yep." Mikey nodded. "What's yours like?"

"He's pretty smart, but also a complete dork." Miwa rolled her eyes. "But he _is _good with electronics; last I checked, he was building robot legs for Xever." Everyone stared at her strangely. "Long story."

"Well, our Baxter Stockman is dangerous as he is intelligent." Donnie explained. "He's a mad genius, and he works for the Shredder. If he designed this system, it could take hours for me to figure it out, let alone crack it."

"Too bad you don't know anybody who used to _work _with Stockman." April said with a sarcastic smile.

"You worked with Stockman?" Miwa asked.

"For a while, before I discovered he was a madman." April admitted, seating herself at Donnie's computers. She immediately got to work, typing at Mach 5. Raph and Leo began practicing with their weapons. Miwa pulled her hair in a braid and tied it with a black ribbon. She combed out her bangs and tied her green mask around her eyes; then she unsheathed her gauntlet claws and started practicing with the boys.

"Remember, my sons." Splinter reminded them. "The battle you face today will be most arduous. You must go in prepared."

"I'm prepared." Raph assured, twirling his sais. "To kick some shell!"

"I think Master Splinter meant a little something more." Leo told his brother.

"I believe the time has come to return the Shredder's sword to its former owner." Splinter said, turned to a desk nearby. Miwa turned and noticed a sword on a stand, its gleaming white blade glinting in the light. The hilt was gold and had four claws pointing down towards the blade. The handle was white with gold designs and a strange, squid-like creature was embedded in the handle as the pommel.

"You mean this sword?" Miwa asked, taking the sword in her hand.

"Miwa!" Leo shouted. "Don't!"

Leo's voice made Miwa jump and she threw the sword towards Raph. When Raph caught it, however, he was immediately shocked and sent flying backwards. The sword flew through the air and Miwa caught it skillfully while Raph landed on the couch and then the floor.

"Forget something?" Leo asked, pointing to the metal glove on the table.

Raph groaned. "Maybe _you _should have the honor of carrying the sword, bro. After all, you're the sword guy."

Leo looked to Miwa and his eyes widened. "Miwa, doesn't that hurt?"

Miwa looked down at her hands. "No, why?"

"That sword is a mix of magic and science." Splinter explained. "Few can wield it without the protective glove, or it will throw the person aside with a powerful blast."

Miwa looked at the glove on the table and then at the sword in her hand. "Guess I'm just lucky." She said humbly, returning the sword to its stand. She stepped aside as Leo approached, but he hesitated.

Splinter put a comforting hand on Leo's shoulder. "Are you all right, my son?"

"I….I was just remembering the last time I tangled with Shredder's elite ninja." Leo admitted. "I….I don't wanna let my brothers…..down…"

"You must look within and find the strength that is yours and yours alone." Splinter instructed. "You will not let them down. I feel it in my heart."

"And don't forget; you're not going in there alone." Miwa reminded him. "I'm right beside you all the way."

"We're in!" Donnie's voice brought everyone to him and April. "We're in!"

"We had to use three different dictionary attack programs to crack the incription algorithm." April explained.

"Then it was just the simple matter of creating a dummy account and installing a remote access Trojan horse." Donnie added. They high-fived, obviously proud of themselves.

"Thrilling." Mikey droned, obviously not getting it.

"How about in English, Nerd One and Nerd Two?" Miwa asked.

"We cracked the system." Donnie and April said simultaneously.

"But, can you get us inside?" Leo added.

"Never mind that." Raph waved it off. "Can ya get us to Shredder?"

"Getting inside's easy." April assured. "Getting to Shredder: difficult but doable."

"What concerns me is everything in between." Donnie said, pointing to the schematics for the building.

"Bring it on!" Raph punched his palm.

"Shredder doesn't stand a chance." Miwa chimed in.

"I can coordinate the computer systems from this end." April offered.

"Great." Leo nodded. "Casey, you stay here and protect April. Just in case." Casey and April didn't look too happy about it, but they agreed. "We're gonna be a four-turtle wrecking crew!" He and his brothers joined hands in a circle.

Splinter placed his paw on top of the pile. "Five." He corrected.

"Make it six." Miwa added, placing her hand on top of Splinter's. "I'm not letting you shell heads have all the fun."

"Let's roll." Raph growled.

* * *

Minutes later, they were barreling down the road in the Battle Shell (or Shellraiser, as Miwa called it) straight for the Foot Clan Headquarters. When they reached a spot about a hundred yards away, they leaped from the car and Donnie used a remote control to power it.

Miwa looked up and froze when she saw the building they were about to enter. Her eyes focused on two details of the structure: the old Japanese-style roofing and the lit up Foot Clan symbol on the side.

Splinter glanced over at the girl. "What is it?"

"That's the building from my dream." Miwa reported, fearfully remembering the nightmare she had; the nightmare where she watched two versions of her father murdered before her very eyes. Splinter took her hand in his paw and gave it a squeeze, gently leading her to the boys as they traveled ahead. Miwa didn't let go of Splinter's paw until they got inside the building. _No matter what happens tonight, _Miwa determined. _I will not lose my father; neither of them._ The six of them, four turtles, a rat, and a human, traveled through the large piping in the building for a few minutes until Donnie gave the word. Then, Raph took a laser from Donnie and carved a hole in it, releasing them out into the building.

"Nice remote control work, Slick." Raph complimented.

"And they say hours and hours of video games are bad for ya." Mikey scoffed.

Donnie didn't look too happy. "Poor Battle Shell. I really loved that oversized gadget laden gas guzzler."

"And I'm sure the next one you build you'll love just as much." Leo assured. "But right now, let's stick to the plan?"

"No plan truly reaches the enemy." Miwa spoke wisely, reciting the words her father spoke. "It is how we react to the unexpected that will determine our victory or defeat."

"A wise saying, Miwa." Splinter noted. Miwa didn't say anything when she remembered that it was the Shredder who told her that, not Splinter.

"April, Stage One complete." Donnie reported into his headset. He waited while April responded. "Good job, April. We'll let you know when we need something else." He pulled up a map on his phone and lead the way through the building, the others close behind. Miwa stayed close to Donnie up front, her fists ready to punch in an instant. Within minutes, Donnie arrived at a door a few levels up. He knelt beside a complicated-looking lock system.

"Now what?" Miwa asked.

"Hold on, I'm on the phone with April now." Donnie said. "April, I'm having trouble getting in. Can you dig up an access code?"

"Allow me." Raph offered, taking a few steps back. Everyone jumped backwards when Raph flew through the air with a strong kick that knocked the door clean off its hinges.

"Noisy, but effective." Mikey nodded. Everyone jumped inside, only to be met with a large group of Foot Ninjas, all of them armed.

"What do you know? The party's already started." Miwa smirked. "This ought to be fun."

"Now that's a lot of ninjas." Mikey noted.

"No problem." Miwa assured. The ninjas charged, and Miwa was first to jump into the fray. She knocked the swords from a few ninjas' grasps and landed rock-solid blows to each one she disarmed. The Turtles and Splinter watched for a moment, mesmerized by the power coming from this young konoichi.

"I'll admit it." Raph nodded. "She's good." He and his brothers charged into battle, following their "sister's" example. Leo battled blade-on-blade with the ninjas, split kicking them aside with ease. Donnie whacked his opponents with his staff, forcing them to stumble back and fall unconscious. Raph remained merciless, knocking ninjas aside with blows that matched Miwa's strength. Mikey teased his opponents, only to be tripped and forced to fall backwards; when the ninjas foolishly followed, they were immediately beaten back again. Four Foot Ninjas idiotically thought they could overpower Splinter by surrounding him. The result: a flurry of fists and feet and blows from a walking stick that made the ninjas instantly fall to the ground unconscious.

"This is fun and all," Miwa kicked a ninja sharply in the stomach, then the face. "But how about moving up a few levels to something a little more challenging?"

"Donnie!" Leo called. "Do your thing!"

Donnie used his staff to vault him up to the computers. He knocked a ninja aside and seated himself at the large computer. "April! I'm hooking up! Prepare to download remote access codes!"

"Hurry it up!" Miwa snapped, blocking an attack with her claws. "I'm running out of ninjas to pound!" Miwa yelped and jumped out of the way as a swivel chair sped past her, sending two Foot Ninjas crashing into a wall. "Watch it ya crazy drivers!"

"You talking to them or us?" Mikey laughed.

"Well, that was refreshing." Raph smirked.

"No doubt more will be on the way." Splinter warned.

"April, we need another way out." Donnie requested. He listened for a moment and then said, "Got it." before kicking open a ventilation shaft.

"Not bad, Donatello." Miwa nodded, pulling out a pair of tekagi-shuko and strapping them to her palms. She, the guys, and Splinter hurriedly climbed into the shaft and climbed up to the next tunnel, crawling through it as they followed Donnie. After crawling, climbing, and occasionally falling through the ventilation shafts, Donnie finally reached another grate and kicked it open. He dropped down to the floor, his family following him.

Miwa looked around as she stowed the tekagi-shuko away. "What is this place? A garage?"

Donnie whistled at the sight of some advanced-looking bikes. "It's like I died and went to techno-geek heaven."

"Whoa." Raph agreed. "A turtle could kick some serious butt with this stuff."

"What do you think this one does?" Mikey asked, lifting up a strange gun. He accidently fired it right in his face, letting loose a cloud of smoke. He coughed, obviously surprised by the sudden invasion on his lungs.

"That answer your question, Lame Brain?" Leo asked.

"Come, my sons. We must keep on the move." Splinter urged. "Miwa, that includes you as well."

Miwa glanced at Splinter. She looked back up at the ledge she had been staring at one last time before following. The six of them journeyed across the room, but Miwa felt uneasy. She looked around, but couldn't see anything that would threaten her family. However, she remained tense all the way through the garage. She spun around when she thought she heard footsteps, but still saw nothing behind them.

"Wait." Splinter ordered, sniffing the air.

"What is it, Sensei?" Leo asked.

"I sense…a presence." Splinter reported.

"I do too." Miwa added. "We're not alone."

"Nobody here but us turtles." Mikey said, noting the seemingly empty garage.

They continued on, but Splinter stopped them again. "No, something is here. Something that cannot be seen."

"Foot Tech Ninjas!" Donnie realized.

"What?" Miwa asked.

"They're ninjas with a special suit." Donnie explained. "It makes them—"

Splinter cried out in pain when an invisible force suddenly collided with his face. The same force met Mikey's and Leo's face, knocking them to the side. Raph punched for something, only to hit air and have the force hit him as well. Miwa held up her claws, but something collided with her back and she fell forward.

"What is this?" Miwa demanded. "Where are they?"

"They're Foot Techs!" Donnie explained. "They're suits make them invisible!"

"Oh, of course it does!" Miwa groaned. She lunged for anything, but only met air and the hard blows of the invisible ninjas. The boys and Splinter met the same fate as the ninjas landed hard blows that sent them to the ground. Miwa slashed her claws, but the ninjas kept landing blows on her, making her angrier and angrier.

Donnie grunted as he hit a metal cabinet. "Don't worry guys. I came prepared for these creeps." He started rummaging through his bag on his shoulder, only for the invisible ninjas to knock the bag from his hand and throw him aside.

Mikey and Miwa tried to fight as a team, but the ninja or ninjas kept attacking without mercy. Mikey suddenly grabbed Miwa and back flipped onto a platform and pulled a lever, raising the platform and the two ninjas high into the air.

"In your face, invisible man!" Mikey boasted. "Smoked your transparent butt!"

Miwa turned when something caught her eye and someone cleared their throat. "Um, Mikey?"

Mikey turned to see the Foot Tech right behind him. "Ah shell….."

The ninja leaned on the railing to the platform and planted his feet into Mikey's stomach, sending the orange-masked turtle flying backwards and to the ground. Miwa lunged with a punch, only for the ninja to catch her hand. Miwa noticed him reach for the Foot Clan symbol on his chest and stabbed her claws into the metal, causing sparks to fly out. The ninja suddenly lifted Miwa into the air and threw her off him. Miwa hit the railing of the platform and growled as she lunged for the ninja, now invisible again. A sharp blow sent Miwa flying off the platform. She screamed as she flew through the air, crashing into Splinter and forcing them both to the floor.

"Oh my gosh, are you okay?" Miwa gasped.

"Fine." Splinter groaned as they pushed themselves to their feet.

"Well, thanks for softening the landing." Miwa laughed sheepishly.

"My pleasure." Splinter droned.

"Duck!" Miwa grabbed Splinter's shoulder and pulled him to the ground as a beam of blue electricity shot over their heads.

"Way to go, Raph!" Donnie complimented. "The laser's messing up their cloaking controls!" Everyone had to duck again, though, because Raph kept spinning and hitting everything around them, including two Foot Tech Ninjas and knocking them backwards.

"Hey bro!" Mikey complained. "Now ya just gotta work on your aim!"

"I only see two." Splinter said. "Where is the third ninja?"

"Uh, maybe driving the scary-looking machine coming right at us?" Miwa gulped, pointing at said machine. The machine fired a missile, forcing Raph to jump off his ride and land beside his brothers while the missile hit a truck and Raph's ride ricocheted off walls and doors, out of control, before crashing right through the ceiling and to the upper floors.

"Always thought this room could us a skylight." Mikey shrugged.

"How can you guys cause so much damage with such little effort?" Miwa wondered. She jumped when a Foot Tech suddenly kicked Mikey aside, his companion going for the konoichi.

"Hang on, Mikey!" Donnie called, grabbing his bag. "I came prepared."

"Of course you did." Miwa rolled her eyes before finally landing a kick to the Foot Tech's stomach.

Donnie threw the strange shuriken in his hand and it hit the Foot Clan symbol on the Foot Tech, causing the device to short-circuit and force the ninja to the ground. "Electric counter-shock shuriken." Donnie said proudly. "Instant short-circuit."

"Quick, Don!" Leo called, grappling with a Foot Tech. "Get him before he—" Too late; the ninja threw Leo aside and instantly turned invisible. Leo slammed into a structure and hit the ground hard while the structure collapsed to pieces on top of him.

"Hang on, bro!" Raph called as they hurried over. "We'll get you out!" They paused briefly when the strange machine started barreling towards them again.

"Guys, take cover!" Leo ordered as his brothers, father, and sister unburied him from the rubble.

"And leave you?" Raph scoffed. "No way!" They pulled Leo to his feet and turned to face the machine, still being driving by the invisible ninja. Splinter moved before anyone else could, leaping high into the air, landing right on the seat, and swiping his staff across the ninja's face. The ninja reappeared, locking an arm around the rat's neck. Splinter desperately fought for control as he reached for a bright red square, indicating the off switch. Miwa jumped up and landed right behind the ninja, slamming her fist into his head and forcing him to loosen his hold on Splinter just enough for him to turn off the machine. The Foot Ninja growled as Splinter spun around and whacked the ninja's face with his staff. They grappled for a moment before the ninja landed an exceptionally hard punch to Splinter's face and sent him flying off the machine. Miwa leaped after him, staying close by the rat's side and throwing some kunai towards the Foot Ninja. It did nothing to stop him from firing another missile at the Turtles.

"Guys!" Miwa shouted. "We have to end this now!"

The guys cried out and grunted as the invisible ninjas started landing blow after blow on them. "You think we're not trying?" Mikey snapped.

"Yo Donnie!" Raph called. "Can't ya shock 'em?"

"Not if I can't see 'em!" Donnie said.

Miwa growled and shut her eyes, focusing on her hearing. She listened to the boys grunting pain, the sound of the small fires here and there…..the footsteps coming right at her. Miwa jumped up and sliced her claws, making contact with the Foot Tech's invisibility source. The ninja stumbled back, his form flickering. Miwa opened her eyes to see the ninja stumble back into the smoke, making his outline clear even though he was invisible.

"Guys!" Miwa called. "We need a smokescreen! Something that will show where the ninjas are!"

"I'll take care of that!" Leo announced, grabbing two fire extinguishers from the wall. "Raph, think fast!" He tossed the canisters towards Raph, who stabbed his sais into them and caused them to explode. The white cloud settled down on the warriors, outlining the invisible ninjas for Donnie to throw his shuriken at. The ninjas instantly hit the ground. When the white cloud cleared, the three invisible ninjas lay (now visible) on the ground.

"Excellent work." Splinter complimented.

"And we put out all the fires too." Mikey added.

"Which way now?" Donnie asked.

"Up." Leo said, pointing to the hole in the ceiling. Nobody looked very excited at having to scale the walls to the beams closer to the hole, but they all climbed up and through the hole to the next level. Upon arriving, they found a strange room filled with computers, advanced equipment, and large glass canisters with three shadows floating in them.

"Why do I feel like I'm stuck in a _Frankenstein_ movie?" Miwa asked, staring at the room she stood in.

"What is this place?" Splinter breathed.

"April, check the building schematics." Donnie requested. "See if you can tell us where we are."

Everyone turned to the three canisters and the shadows, staring at them. Only Leo dared to venture closer to them.

"Hmm….looks kinda familiar." Raph mused.

"It should." Donnie agreed. "It's a Foot Genetics Lab."

"Are you saying that this is just like that abandoned lab we found deep under the city?" Leo asked. Mikey made a dramatic music sound, only for Raph to flick the back of his head.

"Knock it off, Mikey." Raph ordered.

Miwa looked confused. "What do you mean by a—" A loud alarm interrupted her, so did a flashing red light.

"I didn't touch anything!" Mikey insisted. "Honest!"

Suddenly, one of the canisters burst open, releasing the strange water inside. Everyone slowly backed up as the shadow in the canister leaped forward and landed mere feet away from them. The canisters on either side of the first opened as well, and the other two shadows followed suit.

"Is that the Shredder?" Mikey asked.

"I don't think so, Mikey." Donnie gulped. "Though they might be his genetic clones."

"Might be?" Raph repeated.

The first clone roared like an animal, raising its four arms. Each arm had a spiked gauntlet and the head looked the same: helmet and glowing red eyes. The clone seemed to wear the Shredder's armor, but with more skin showing. The second clone stood a little taller and thinner, with strange crab claws for hands. The third clone was much shorter and growled in a high-pitched voice.

"Oh this gonna get messy." Miwa groaned, unsheathing her claws.

"Hey Donnie." Mikey asked. "Got anything in your bag of tricks to deal with this?"


	10. TMNT: Return to New York Part Two

**Chapter Ten- "Return to New York Part Two"**

Everyone held their respective weapons, ready to fight the three monstrous clones as they approached. But none of them could hide their shock and slight fear.

"What _are _those things?" Leo breathed.

"My guess would be genetically engineered hybrid clones." Donnie reported as he and Mikey dodged the four-arm Shredder's attacks. "Recombinant genetic mutations of Shredder DNA!"

"That's what I was gonna say!" Mikey added.

Splinter and Miwa ducked as the crab-handed Shredder swiped at them. Miwa jabbed her claws into its flesh and the Shredder clone reared back, roaring in pain. It lunged for her, but paused when it noticed her weapons. The clone stood there for a while, staring at the girl.

"I think it confuses you with the Shredder." Splinter explained.

"Why would it do that?" Miwa demanded.

"Your claws!" Leo called. "Your gauntlet claws look just like Shredders!"

"Quick, see if you can control the clones!" Mikey added hurriedly.

"Um…" Miwa gulped a little. "Clones…sit?" The clone's eyes suddenly narrowed and he roared at her, swinging his club-like hands and forcing Miwa and Splinter to hold up their weapons to block it. "So much for that theory." Miwa growled.

The third clone, a tiny Shredder whose head reached about Raph's waist, charged for the red-masked turtle and sliced his tiny gauntlets, only for Raph to jump up and aim his sais for the tiny clone. The clone jumped away with a high-pitched growl. He lunged again, but Leo took his blades and blocked the attack.

"Hold still you puny little—" Leo grunted when the tiny clone swiped at him and suddenly jumped back. He ricocheted off the wall and lunged again, his gauntlet blades clanging against Leo's katanas.

"How are you guys getting beat by a midget Shredder?" Miwa demanded.

"Just focus on your own Shredder!" Raph snapped.

Miwa turned as the clone ran towards her, slamming his crab-like hands down to crush her. Miwa jumped back and suddenly ran up the clone's arms, kicking him right in the face. She back flipped as the clone tumbled and hit the ground while she landed softly beside Splinter. The clone quickly stood and swung his arm like a bat, almost knocking the rat and human off their feet. Miwa pushed Splinter back when the clone swung his other arm. She held up her claws and they pierced the clone's flesh, causing him to pull his arm back and therefore pull Miwa into the air. Miwa planted her feet into the clone's arm and tried to pull herself out, but she was stuck tight. Splinter leaped up and kicked the clone's chest multiple times, causing him to fall back to the ground. The rat took a hold of Miwa's gauntlets and helped pull her free, just in time to back up and dodge the clone's attacks once more.

It wasn't long before Miwa and Splinter backed up right into Leo and Raph. "My sons! On my signal!" Splinter ordered. "Now!" The four of them ducked, causing the crab hand Shredder and the midget Shredder to jump up and crash right into each other. The crab hand Shredder slammed into a breaker box and was electrocuted; the midget Shredder hit the ground hard. Leo and Raph jumped up and kicked the last clone in the back, forcing him to release Donnie from his hold. While Miwa helped move Donnie to safety, Mikey and Splinter suddenly jumped onto the canisters that held the clones and tipped them over, right on top of the four armed clone and knocking him unconscious.

Mikey's phone suddenly began to ring, and he picked it up. "Mutant Clone Control. You splice 'em we slice 'em." He paused. "Yo, Donnie. It's for you."

Donnie took the phone and pulled the blue tooth headset from it. "April, what did you find?" Everyone waited for Donnie to listen before the purple-masked turtle ran over to a lab table and reached underneath it. Seconds later, a section of the wall rose to reveal and elevator…..on the other side of the gaping hole in the floor.

"And _how _are we supposed to get across _that_?" Raph demanded.

"No sweat." Donnie assured, pulling out a rope and hook. "I came prepared."

"Of course you did." Miwa rolled her eyes. "Next you'll be pulling out a hat with a rabbit inside."

Donnie swung the hook around and threw it, latching the small piece of metal to the beam above them. He swung across first, landing safely on the other side before tossing the rope back. Mikey caught it next and swung across, shouting like Tarzan from the jungle.

"What?" Mikey asked when Donnie stared at him. "At least it ain't 'Cowabunga'."

He threw the rope back and Raph caught it, but a snarl reached their ears. Upon turning, the four remaining group members noticed the crab-handed clone and the midget clone regained consciousness; and now they charged right for them.

"I got this one." Raph assured, handing the rope to Leo.

"I'll handle the midget." Miwa added, joining Raph in the fray. She and Raph knocked aside the clone's claws every time he struck, causing a sharp _CLANG _each time until Raph could grab the incoming rope.

"Later Lobster Limbs!" Raph called, jumping to swing across. Miwa jumped up and grabbed the rope as well. But the clone suddenly sliced through the rope, causing Miwa and Raph to fall straight down the hole.

"Raph!" Leo called. "Miwa!" He and the others rushed to the edge, staring down at their comrades. Raph, out of pure instinct, had grabbed a pipe sticking out from the edge of the hole and Miwa grabbed his ankle.

"Yeah, what?" Raph snapped.

Miwa looked down at the sound of footsteps and groaned. "Uh, Raph? Slight problem."

"How slight?" Raph asked, looking down. "Aw crud."

Hun stared up at the turtle and human, looking both shocked and angry. "So, the Turtles really are alive."

"Eat kunai Hun!" Miwa grabbed one of her knives and threw it, missing Hun by centimeters as he stepped aside. The large man ran over to the machine the Turtles encountered earlier, arming it and aiming it for Raph and Miwa.

"Raph!" Leo called. "Don't move until I tell you."

Raph glared at the crab-hand Shredder creeping towards him. "Are you nuts?"

"Trust me, bro!" Leo urged. "Get ready!"

Raph pulled his ankles up and swung Miwa onto the back of his shell. "Hold onto me."

"No problem." Miwa assured, gripping his shell tightly.

"Now!" Leo called. Raph flipped away to his brothers while the crab-hand Shredder fell down towards Hun, who accidently shot the hole with the missile instead of Raph.

Leo and Splinter helped pull Raph to solid ground and Miwa slid off his back. "Well, chalk that up for an interesting experience." Miwa sighed. "It's not every day you fight mutant clones of your worst enemy."

"Hurry it up, guys!" Donnie urged, pressing the Up button repeatedly. "We're about to have another clone encounter!" Everyone turned as the other two clones rose, growling at them from the other side of the hole.

Mikey stuck out his tongue and made taunting faces at the clones. "Denied!"

"Mikey, it is not wise to poke at the hornets' nest!" Miwa snapped.

"Why not?" Mikey asked. Everyone went wide-eyed with a gasp when the two clones leaped over the hole and landed on their side, snarling.

"That's why." Miwa sighed.

"Ah shell." Raph groaned as they drew their weapons. Donnie kept pressing the Up button hurriedly. When the four-armed Shredder lunged for him, Raph knocked it aside. The tiny Shredder clone jumped up and landed on Miwa's shoulders, grabbing her braid.

"Get it off!" Miwa screamed, trying to grab the clone. "Get it off!"

"Duck!" Splinter ordered. Miwa lowered her head and Splinter swung his walking stick like a bat, knocking the tiny clone off Miwa's shoulders. The elevator doors finally opened and Donnie rushed inside to hold them.

"Hey guys!" Donnie called. Everyone quickly backed up into the elevator, blocking some of the clones' attacks until Donnie pressed a button and the doors closed. Everyone remained tense until the doors were shut before relaxing, panting from the adrenaline rush.

"Okay." Mikey sighed. "Did Shredder, like, wake up one morning and say, 'Hey, here's an idea: mutant clones of me. _Really _ugly ones!'"

"Nice impression." Miwa laughed, tucking some loose strands of hair behind her ears. The elevator suddenly jerked, and the doors started opening. The two clones outside growled in effort as they struggled and pulled the doors open, trying to reach the elevator's occupants. "Oh good grief." Miwa growled, planting a punch in the larger clone's faceplate. Donnie threw one of his shocking shurikens and the two clones fell backwards from electrocution.

"Everybody out!" Leo ordered, pushing the emergency exit hatch open with his sword. "Double time!"

"Nunchaku Express!" Mikey chimed, holding up his nunchaku. "Going up!" One by one, the leaped up onto Mikey's nunchaku and out the hatch, onto the roof of the elevator. Leo and Splinter reached down and pulled Mikey up with them, just as the clones burst into the elevator. Leo slammed the hatch shut before the clones could follow.

"Now what?" Raph demanded.

"We climb?" Miwa offered, looking up.

"No, grab onto the caraway cable!" Leo ordered. He sat on the hatch as the clones beat on it, trying to get up, while everyone else followed his order. When everyone had grabbed on, Leo jumped forward and took the rope, just as the clones appeared and charged. "Hang on!" He took a katana and sliced through the cable, forcing everyone up as the elevator car went down. "Get ready!" Leo called. "It's about to hit!" Right on cue, the car hit the bottom of the chute, causing the ropes and cables to ripple and slack, causing the Turtles and Miwa to fly right off the cable. Splinter, still holding onto the cable, managed to swing out and grabbed Miwa before she could fall down.

"My sons, are you all right?" he called up. Miwa looked above them and noticed Donnie and Raph hanging onto the door to the next level and Leo and Mikey hanging onto a support beam.

"Yeah." Raph groaned, pulling himself up to the ledge. "Peachy." He stabbed a sai into the door and pried it open, allowing everyone to step inside as they climbed up. But all they saw was a long hallway, with a door that had a large Foot Clan symbol on it at the end.

"April, we need the 411 on our current location." Donnie said into his headset. He stepped back outside the elevator and looked up. "Seventy-Two."

"Huh, talk about weird." Miwa said, looking around the room. "Oroku Saki must've come from an old family or we wouldn't be seeing such a mix of old-fashioned Japan and modern-day Foot tech."

"Very strange indeed." Splinter nodded. "Then again, the Shredder is unlike any foe we have ever faced."

"True." Miwa agreed as they slowly ventured down the hall. "In your dimension….and in mine."

"April, can you at least find us a way up?" Donnie asked. "A stairwell or something?"

"Maybe we should've just climbed up the outside." Miwa teased. "Like Spiderman."

Splinter held his arms out to stop them. "What is it, Sensei?" Leo asked worriedly.

Splinter's nose twitched, sniffing the air. "I sense something."

"Raph's body odor?" Miwa teased with a smirk.

"Traps." Splinter said, making Miwa's smirk disappear. "We must proceed with caution." The rat master leaped up to the walls of the hallway, bouncing off them in a zigzag pattern that ended with him landing safely on the other side of the hall, right in front of the door. Miwa soon followed, jumping up and running along the wall for a few moments before leaping and bouncing off the other wall. She somersaulted into the air and landed softly on the ground before Splinter. Donnie ran across the floor a little ways before giving a tremendous leap, ricocheting off the wall and landing beside Miwa.

"Come on, guys." Miwa urged. "And be careful."

"There ain't no traps down there." Raph scoffed, taking off down the hall.

"Raph, no!" Miwa groaned. "You're gonna—" Too late. One of the floor panels sunk under Raph's foot step, and sharp bladed pendulums swung down from the ceiling, nearly slicing Raph in half. Saws jutted out from the walls, but he leaped over those with ease. He continued to run, but stepped on one more panel and a section of the floor opened up right before Miwa, Splinter, and Donnie to reveal a bed of sharp spikes. Raph gave a tremendous leap and landed a little hard on the other side. Raph chuckled a little nervously.

"Raphael." Splinter scolded. "Your rashness will be the end of you yet."

"Hey, I made it didn't I?" Raph shrugged.

"And what of your brothers?" Splinter reminded him. Raph looked back and noticed the number of traps he set off, making the hallway that much more dangerous.

"Idiot." Miwa sighed.

"No sweat, Master!" Mikey assured as he dodged the pendulum blades. "Mikey got game! Mikey got hops! Mikey be in the zone!" He effortlessly leaped over the saws and the pendulums. "Boo-ya! In your face you puny little girly blades!"

"Is he _always _like this?" Miwa asked. "Even my dimension Mikey isn't this goofy."

"You have no idea." Donnie shook his head.

"Go Mikey! Go Mikey!" Mikey cheered, doing a little victory dance.

Miwa shook her head, but she had to smile. Then, her eyes widened. "Mikey look out!"

"Go, go! Go Mikey!" Mikey jumped when a pendulum swung towards him, slicing off the tails of his mask. He yelped and ran for it, leaping across the spike bed and landing on his stomach on the other side. Miwa sighed in relief, putting a hand to her racing heart. _That was _way _too close._

"The trendy new short headbands are in this season." Mikey chuckled nervously, as to alleviate the tension. "All the stylish ninja are wearing them." Raph and Donnie stared at him with a soft glare while Splinter just stared at him tiredly. Miwa rolled her eyes.

Leo landed behind Mikey and shoved his torn mask tails into his hand. "No more fooling around, Mikey! Not today!" He stomped past Mikey, leaving the orange-masked turtle to stare in surprise.

"Hey, Leo, lighten up." Miwa said. "We could use a little laughter right now; lighten the tension of being in this place."

"Well excuse me if I'm one of the few people that actually recognizes the danger we're in." Leo growled, inspecting the door.

"We all know the danger." Miwa assured. "We're in the Shredder's lair; you think I haven't spent a few battles in the heart of my enemy's home?"

Leo spun around to glare at Miwa. "I think you don't understand that there_ are _differences between your Shredder and our Shredder!"

"You really think so?" Miwa scoffed.

"You said the Shredder was once your father." Leo said with a glared. "How do we know you're not still loyal to him?" He turned back around to the door, leaving Miwa fuming behind him and fingering her kunai.

Splinter put a hand on Miwa's shoulder and pulled her aside. "You cannot let his words anger you." He whispered to her. "He gets tense in situations like this."

"He's rash and prideful." Miwa whispered back. "It will be his downfall."

Leo pushed open the large doors and everyone stepped inside. The layout came as a surprise to all of them: a dark, stone room, slightly foggy, with a sort of small temple standing ahead of them. Statues flanked the steps to the temple: strange figures wearing geta, bamboo hats and armor and carrying strange spears. A Foot Clan symbol rested beneath each figure in the form of some sort of element.

"These symbols each represent one of the five elements." Splinter explained. "Earth, fire, water, wind, and metal."

"What are they?" Miwa asked. "Gods? Spirits?"

"Look!" Donnie gasped. Everyone turned as one of the statues suddenly came to life and became more colorful. Its armor was now red and gold, carrying a red-orange spear weapon. Its skin was ashen white and its eyes glowed red. And…..it was on fire…

The spirit leaped off his pedestal, brandishing his spear threateningly. His four kin followed suit, each of them approaching the ninjas with their weapons ready. Each spirit had the same ashen skin and glowing red eyes, except their armor was different: one had silver and blue armor, one aqua green and gray, one earthen brown and tan, and one dark gray and gold.

Fire, wind, water, earth, and metal.

"Um, you don't suppose they're friendly?" Miwa gulped as they raised their weapons.

"Considering they're surrounding us," Raph pointed out as they stood back-to-back in a circle. "I'd say not so friendly."

"Be prepared for anything my children." Splinter instructed.

The spirits raised their weapons and suddenly fired bright bolts of colored lightning towards the ninjas, pushing them back a little and even throwing them in different directions. All except Miwa, who stood unharmed in the middle of the circle of spirits. She held her gauntlet claws, ready, glaring at each of the spirits around her. But they didn't attack her; in fact, they stared at her for a moment before bowing to her.

"What are you—" Miwa breathed.

"Get away from her!" Donnie leaped up and swung his staff for one of the spirits, but he was swiftly knocked aside by the gray and gold spirit's spear.

"Protect the girl." The fiery spirit ordered. "She cannot be harmed."

"What?" Miwa cocked her head. Suddenly, a ring of fire surrounded her, its high flames preventing her from running to help the others as the spirits attacked them.

Raph sliced his sais through the water spirit, but the blades went right through him. "You can't even touch these things!" Raph growled.

Mikey planted a sharp roundhouse kick into the metal spirit, only to pull his foot back sharply at the loud _CLANG! _"Ow! That's not entirely true!"

Miwa watched in shock and slight horror as the fire spirit began launching fireballs at Donnie, who was forced to either jump away or whack the balls aside with his bō like a baseball bat. The wind spirit created a small tornado, lifting up Leo and tossing him against and again. Splinter hit the earth spirit again and again, but the spirit kept coming back as though nothing happened. The water spirit suddenly trapped Raph in a bubble of water; no matter how hard he punched at the fluid membrane, it wouldn't break. Miwa looked around, but her only way out of the circle was up.

"Okay." Miwa bounced on the balls of her feet a little. "Okay, let's see if all that jumping practice Shredder put me through paid off." She crouched down as low as she could, gathering her strength. Then, she pushed off the ground and somersaulted over the flames. She landed softly on the ground and darted forward, unsheathing her gauntlet claws as she charged for the fire spirit.

"Miwa, no!" Leo snapped, grabbing Miwa's wrist and halting her run.

"What are you doing?" Miwa snapped. She jumped with a yelp when a blast of wind and rock threw Leo aside and into a wall.

"You must stay back, Mistress." The wind spirit instructed, gently pushing her behind some rocks. He flew off to fight Leo once more.

_What the devil is going on? _Miwa thought as she stared at the battle. _Why are they—_ She paused and looked down at her claws. _Could it be?_

"There must be some way to fight fire with fire!" Donnie yelped as another fireball hit the rock structure he hid behind.

Splinter spied Leo and caught sight of the Sword of Tengu, still on the turtle's back. "Or magic with magic."

"Master Splinter!" Leo called. "What are you doing?"

Splinter didn't answer; he leaped into the air, dropping his staff in the process, and grabbed the magic sword from the sheath on Leo's back. The rat landed softly on the ground between Leo and the wind spirit. Miwa's eyes widened at the beauty of the sword blade as it glowed a beautiful blue. But her awe turned to horror when she saw Splinter's paws smoking.

"I believe that conquering our mystic foes requires a mystic weapon." Splinter said simply, brandishing the sword threateningly.

"But you need the glove, Sensei!" Donnie called, pulling the metal glove from his bag. "Catch!"

The glove clattered to the ground, right at Splinter's feet, but he didn't pick it up. "There is no time! Leonardo, get your brothers and sister away from the temple! Now!" He suddenly swung the sword, letting loose a blast that knocked the earth and water spirits backwards and released Raph from his watery prison. The spirits, realizing that the rat with the sword was the greater threat, all advanced towards him, raising their weapons threateningly. Miwa felt one of the turtles grab her arms and pulled her to safety, but her eyes remained glued to the battle.

Splinter jumped out of the circle of surrounding spirits and landed softly behind them, glaring harshly and still holding the sword. His paws continued to smoke and burn, but he paid no attention. He swung the sword and let loose a blast, striking the fire spirit and causing its flames to fly backwards and melt the metal spirit.

"Fire melts metal."

He jumped aside as the water spirit launched a blast for him, swinging the sword and striking the same spirit next. The water from the spirit blasted back and the fire spirit burst into a cloud of ash and pieces of armor.

"Water quenches fire."

Next came the earth spirit, who became hit with the sword blast and the bits of earth hit the water spirit. The spirit shook for a moment before disappearing.

"Earth swallows water."

The earth and wind spirits moved for Splinter, who only leaped over their heads and sent yet another blast from the sword before landing. The wind blew back the earth spirit, and he disappeared along with his brethren.

"Wind scatters earth."

Now, it was only the wind spirit left, who immediately created a tornado to deter Splinter's merciless attacks. But the rat held firm and strong, even with the sword causing him so much pain. His hands burned and trembled, but he just clenched the sword handle tighter.

"And I shall quell the wind!" Splinter charged for the spirit, shouting in effort.

"Splinter!" Miwa started for the rat, but Donnie and Raph held her back. She could only watch in terror as Splinter let out a final, powerful blast from the sword, knocking the wind spirit backwards into the temple. The roof crumbled and broke apart, falling down and crushing the wind spirit…and Splinter.

"No!" Miwa shoved Raph and Leo aside and sprinted towards the wreckage. "Splinter! Master Splinter!" She shoved aside pieces of wood and rocks, searching for the grey rat. Her eyes darted around wildly, but she couldn't see him anywhere. In a fit of uncharacteristic desperation, Miwa suddenly shouted, "DADDY!"

"Miwa, over here!" Leo called.

Miwa spun around to see a grey arm sticking out from a pile of rocks, still smoking but indicating life. She hurried down and helped the boys pulled Splinter from the wreckage before suddenly wrapped her arms around his neck in a hug. Splinter returned the gesture, quietly assuring her he was all right.

"Gods in heaven don't scare me like that again." Miwa breathed when she finally pulled away.

"I am fine." Splinter sighed. "Leonardo, retrieve the sword." Donnie handed Leo the metal glove and the blue-masked turtle went to search for the sword.

"Master Splinter." Mikey gasped. "Your hands." Indeed, Splinter's paws continued to smoke and burn, no doubt from the effects of the Sword of Tengu.

"The Sword of Tengu is a potent mix of science and sorcery." Splinter sighed. "Only a true master can wield it without the protective glove. But there is a price to be paid."

"Makes you wonder what's in store for us on the next twenty floors." Donnie sighed, pulling out the bandages and getting to work on Splinter's hands.

"We still got twenty floors to go?" Mikey gulped audibly.

"If we even make it that far." Raph growled.

"There's no 'if' about it!" Leo declared. "We _will _make it to the Shredder. Have you guys forgotten how he forced us from our home? Burned down April's building? Nearly killed us all? Cause I sure haven't! And I'm gonna see this thing through to the bitter end!" He grabbed the Sword of Tengu from the rubble, holding it with pride for a moment before sheathing it.

"You make it sound like you're doing this alone." Miwa noted. "Like all that Shredder's done has been focused on you and you alone. The Shredder's affected us all; which means we're _all _going to fight him and defeat him." She never looked at Leo; she was too busy glaring at the floor in frustration. "You're especially not going in there without me. I owe your dimension Shredder a good ol' fist to the face."

"I'm with ya, bro." Raph assured.

"Me too." Donnie nodded.

"We'll see this thing through together." Mikey chimed in.

"All of us." Splinter affirmed.

Miwa stared at the mutants before her and she smiled softly. _That's my family all right. Just as it should be. I just hope I can get home to my own._

"April." Donnie spoke into his headset. "Any luck finding us a stairwell out of here?" They waited a moment before Leo approached a banner with the water spirit's symbol on it. He sliced through the banner with his swords, revealing a pair of elevator doors. The doors opened to reveal rice paper styled walls and a set of buttons with floors that led straight to the very top floor. Everyone piled in and Miwa pressed the button for the top floor, feeling as though she just sealed their fate with such a simple action. _I will protect my family. _She assured herself. _I will not fail tonight. My nightmares will stay inside my mind and never become a reality._

"There is no turning back now." Splinter noted.

"There was no turning back in the first place." Miwa muttered. "It's not like we could've just _let _Shredder get away with this….even if we get hurt in the process."

"But no matter what happens today, I have never been more proud of you all." Splinter told them with a smile. "My ninja….my sons." He looked to Miwa. "My daughter."

Miwa smiled and stared at each of the mutant turtles in turn. "You know, you guys kind of get on my nerves more often than my brothers back home, but I can honestly say I've never been more proud to call you my family."

"Same here, Miwa." Leo assured, putting a hand on her shoulder. "And…..I'm sorry…for everything….."

"Don't be." Miwa laughed wryly. "Siblings fight; it happens. There's nothing you can say that would change that." _Except if we said we hated each other; or the number of times you compared me to Shredder and claimed I was still one of the Foot. _But Miwa wasn't concerned about her lying; she had other things to worry about.

Like the fact that they just arrived at their floor.

They held their weapons ready and walked inside, finding themselves in a sort of small hallway. Another door with the Foot Clan symbol on it stood a few feet away. Leo approached the door first, hesitating a little. Then, he took a breath, jumped into the air, and kicked the doors open. Everyone else followed, looking around the large throne-like room. Glass windows that looked like rice paper doors; a small stool at the end of the hall with a Foot Clan symbol on a banner above it, like a tiny throne; it looked like the perfect, old-fashioned Japanese style throne room, meant for a king.

_Not meant for a murderer. _Miwa growled softly.

Suddenly, in four individual bursts of smoke, the Elite Ninjas appeared, wielding their weapons and glaring at the intruders. Leo stiffened at the sight, flashing back to the last time he fought them…..and lost miserably.

"Shredder's Elite Guard." Leo breathed.

Raph glared at the ninjas. "You can do it, bro." he assured. "We're all in this together."

"You don't know how true that is, freak."

They turned at the cruel laugh to see Hun standing in the broken doorway, cracking his knuckles and looking very pleased to have the chance to pound them all to dust.

"Oh look, the blonde gorilla returns." Miwa sassed. She looked back and forth between the large man in the doorway and the lithe elites on the other side. But the only movement came from the elites twirling their weapons. Miwa remained tense and ready to pounce, but still no one moved.

"What are they waitin' for?" Raph asked.

"Orders." Leo answered.

"Astute as usual, Leonardo."

Miwa's eyes narrowed as Shredder approached them, looking the same as the last time she saw this dimension's Shredder: armored up with glowing red eyes. _Oh it's going to be such a joy to kill you, Shredder._

"I don't know how you managed to survive out last encounter," Shredder said, glaring at the six ninjas that dared to intrude on his home. "But I can assure you, you will not survive this one."

"Your elite guard will not stop _me, _Oroku Saki." Splinter growled as he and Miwa stepped forward.

"Same here." Miwa assured.

"No Sensei." Leo stopped them. "This is one _I _need to lead. Miwa, you stay back as well."

"Fine." Miwa sighed. "But the second we start this, I'm going for Shredder."

"He's all yours." Mikey assured.

"Elite!" Shredder barked an order. "Attack!"

The ninja quartet leaped forward, only for five mutant ninjas to intercept them. Miwa darted forward, weaving her way around the tiny fights as she ran towards Shredder, claws unsheathed and ready to strike. Shredder stood ready as well, holding his single set of gauntlet claws ready. The two of them clashed together, their blades pressing against each other, before pushing apart and each adopting a strong stance. Shredder lunged next, aiming a punch for Miwa's head. She ducked and swept Shredder's legs, only for him to jump up and back flip farther away. It didn't stop Miwa from charging for him yet again, her claws clashing with his.

"I am curious, girl." Shredder said. "How _did _you get those claws?"

"I made them." Miwa said simply, swinging said claws towards his face.

Shredder blocked the attack. "I have not seen you with the Turtles before the attack on the shop. Just who are you?"

"Why do you care?" Miwa leaped up and kicked Shredder's head, landing softly on the ground as he stumbled back. "You're going to kill me anyway."

Shredder narrowed his eyes and slammed his claws down. Miwa held up her own claws in an X to block it, but the force of the blow made her go down on one knee. Shredder continued to push down, keeping Miwa on her knee. "Perhaps I won't kill you; not yet at least. You seem like a very interesting girl. If you surrender now, I may just let you live long enough to tell me your story."

Miwa growled, glaring into Shredder's glow red eyes. Suddenly, Leo's fierce shout pierced the air, and she looked over to see him on his back, his swords blocking the blade of one of the elites. "You may destroy me," Leo growled. _"But I will not live in fear!"_ He kicked the ninja off him and jumped to his feet.

Miwa smirked. "You underestimate us, Oroku Saki." She suddenly twisted and spun and planted her foot in Shredder's stomach, sending him flying back into the wall and slumping to the floor. "You won't beat us; you will _never _beat us!" She lunged for Shredder, but a sudden rumbling made everyone in the room paused. Something started pushing through the floor, breaking boards and shaking the ground beneath everyone's feet. Something big and metal suddenly pushed its way through to the top floor. It had four arms, two legs, a round body, many visible weapons (and who-knows-how-many not visible), and a window that revealed the head of a colored man with some sort of eyepiece over his scarred eye and a neck brace around his neck.

"Who and what is that?" Miwa demanded.

"Baxter Stockman!" Shredder growled.

"In the flesh." The colored man, Baxter Stockman, sneered. "So to speak."

"You will pay for your false report on the Turtles' demise!" Shredder declared to Stockman. "However, you _can _redeem yourself. Destroy the Turtles!"

The Turtles, Splinter, and Miwa stood ready to fight, but Stockman didn't even turn to them. He just continued to glare arrogantly at the Shredder. "You blind, ignorant, self-important fool! I didn't make this suit to _help _you, Shredder; I made it to _destroy _you! For every punishment you inflicted upon me, I will make you suffer tenfold! You will finally learn to respect my superior intellect!"

"Stockman," Shredder growled. "I'll have your head for this!"

"No, Shredder," Stockman corrected. "I'll have yours." He turned to the mutants and Miwa. "And you, meddlesome creatures, you have interfered with my plans for the last time."

"You believe this guy?" Mikey scoffed. "Wackjob City."

"You'll all pay!" Stockman declared. "All of you! Not one of you will leave this room alive! You'll all be crushed by the genius of Baxter Stockman!"

"_That's _your dimension Stockman?" Miwa asked, a little slack-jawed.

"Yeah, so?" Mikey shrugged.

"So, you didn't tell me he was a narcissistic nutcase!" Miwa snapped.

"Did you not hear me say 'Wackjob City'?" Mikey asked.

"_Dangerous _Wackjob City." Donnie added.

Still, they remained in their fighting positions, ready to fight not only the Foot but the lunatic in the robot suit as well.


	11. Where Are You?

**A/N: This is more of check-in with the 2012 Turtles, so think that world when reading! A bit of a brief chapter, just so you know. Not as long as the others.**

* * *

**Chapter Eleven- Where Are You?**

Mikey scanned the area, his soft blue eyes taking in everything around him. He darted down the alley, peering behind, under, and inside every trashcan and dumpster in the small alleyway. Raph joined him seconds later, landing in the alley as Mikey lifted up a few rocks and peered underneath them.

"You realize the phrase 'No stone unturned' is just an expression, right?" Raph scoffed.

Mikey shot an uncharacteristic glare towards his brother. "I'm not taking that chance." He gave the alley another look around before darting for the entrance.

Raph stopped his brother, taking his arm and halting his run. "Mikey, just stop. We've looked everywhere. We'll go home and try again tomorrow."

"I'm not giving up." Mikey said firmly. "Not until I find her."

"Mikey—"

"Not until I find her!"

Mikey took off, up a fire escape and disappearing over the edge. Raph sighed, staring after him. Leo and Donnie dropped down from the rooftops beside him, slowly approaching the red-masked turtle with solemn expressions. They stared at him hopefully, but he only shook his head. They sighed simultaneously and slipped down into the sewers, trudging back home to once again report their lack of findings to their father. Mikey, meanwhile, continued his run across the rooftops, looking everywhere for a sign of Miwa. His eyes took in everything, desperately searching for something that would give him a clue as to where his beloved….sister…..could be.

He had to find her.

He _had _to.

Leo, Raph, and Donnie trudged through the sewers, slowly pushing through the turnstiles. Splinter hurriedly approached them, staring at his three sons hopefully. But their distraught looks gave him enough of an answer. He sighed, squeezing his eyes shut and clenching his fists, breathing meditatively to calm his rage and frustration.

"We're sorry, Sensei." Leo said softly.

Splinter opened his eyes and put a comforting hand on his eldest son's shoulder. "It is _not _your fault. You can search again tomorrow night."

"Sensei, it _is _my fault." Leo sighed. "And mine alone."

"Hey, you and Miwa have been fighting for weeks now." Raph reminded him. "How were we supposed to know one fight would escalate to this?"

"But I'm the leader." Leo growled, pushing past Splinter and hitting the punching bag. "It's _my _responsibility to keep this team safe. Miwa's a part of this team, and I…." He took out his swords and threw them to the ground in frustration. "She was right there! I could've saved her and I—"

"Leo, we were _all _there." Donnie said. "And I don't think _any _of us could have saved her." He looked around at his brothers and father. "We can't worry about it right now. Splinter's right; let's rest for now and wait for Mikey to get back. We can search tomorrow night. We'll scour the city, topside and in the sewers, until we find her."

"Why bother?" Raph demanded, plopping down on the couch.

"What?" Leo asked, surprised.

"Why should we keep looking?" Raph repeated.

"Because she's our sister!" Donnie said. "And we owe it to her to find her and bring her home!"

"I know that!" Raph shouted, standing and turning to glare at Donnie. "But what's the point anymore? It's been almost two weeks since she disappeared and we don't even know if she came back through the portal!"

"My daughter is wiser than you give her credit for." Splinter reminded his hot-headed son.

"And she's clever." Donnie added. "Obviously, she would've jumped through the portal the moment the Kraang had it fixed and she would've escaped."

"That's my point!" Raph snapped. "She _is _that clever! And she wouldn't hesitate to come back home the second she got the chance!"

"We still don't understand, Raph." Leo demanded.

"My point is…why the shell isn't she back yet?!" Raph yelled. He panted a little, his fists clenched so tight his knuckles lightened. He trembled a little. "She's smart and she's strong. So why isn't she home? Why is she still away from us?" He turned his head to hide the tears forming in his eyes. "Why is…." He angrily wiped his eyes dry and glared up at his family. "Why bother searching anymore? If she's not back by now, she's not coming back at all."

"So we're just gonna give up?" Leo said, astonished. "Just like that?"

"Guys, look at it realistically." Raph sighed. "We all know Miwa, even if it was for a short time. If she's not back now, she's never going to come back."

Donnie and Leo exchanged looks, both of them considering Raph's logic. Splinter stared at the ground, sighing through his nose and his ears drooping. Raph nodded curtly and plopped down on the couch again, glaring at nothing in particular.

"So that's it?"

Everyone turned to the entrance of the lair, their eyes widening a little when they noticed Mikey there, his eyes filled with such a fury they had never seen in someone like Mikey.

"You're just giving up?" Mikey asked. "Just like that? When our sister is out there and probably hurt? I bet you _anything _she's hurt and maybe even scared! What if the Kraang got her? They could be doing experiments on her or torturing her or worse! Think about Leatherhead! Think about the pain he went through as the Kraang's little lab rat! No offense, Sensei."

"None taken." Splinter assured.

"The point is, if it was any one of us or even all of us, Miwa would never give up!" Mikey continued. "She would scour the city a thousand times through and then do it again until she found us! We owe it to her to do the same! If you shellheads won't do it, then I'll go alone! And I won't come back until I find her!"

Mikey turned and ran from the lair, back up to the surface. He ran across rooftops, leaping from one building to another. He soon became aware of another person running just as fast as him, and getting close. He turned his head and noticed a shadowy figure approaching him from behind. He paused, turning to whoever ran towards him and drawing his nunchakus. But he jumped a little when his "attacker" darted past him, leaping to the next building.

"Are you coming, Michelangelo?" Splinter called as he ran. "We have to find my daughter."

Mikey smiled and joined his father as they ran through the city, searching for any sign of Miwa. Minutes later, Leo, Raph, and Donnie joined them, running through town for one final search. This time, they worked as a team, scouring every alleyway with a critical eye and overturning anything big enough for Miwa to hide in. They called out softly for their sister/daughter, not wanting to draw attention or alert the Foot Clan about the situation. Splinter stayed in each alley longer than his sons, triple checking anything that his daughter could slip into. Every time he looked, he expected her to jump out and punch him in the face, thinking him an enemy, only to hug him and apologize a thousand times. But nothing of the sort happened, not even once. And every moment Splinter spent without his daughter in sight, the more agitated he became. Leo, Donnie, and Raph searched just as hard as their brother and father, but they searched with half-hearted efforts. Raph's words rang through their skulls, making them second-guess the possibility that Miwa even survived Dimension X. Perhaps Raph was right.

If Miwa wasn't back by now, she wasn't going to come back at all.

Mikey skidded to a halt and stood at the edge of a building, overlooking the layout of the city. His eyes locked with the horizon, and the sun slowly rising from it. He knew they couldn't stay up at the surface for much longer, but he wanted to keep looking, to search the edges of the earth until he found her. But Splinter came up behind him and put a comforting paw on his youngest son's shoulder, gently leading the smallest terrapin away from the light coming over the horizon and back into the shadows where they belonged.

Mikey's head hung as he unwillingly allowed Splinter to direct him home. His thoughts traveled to Miwa, perhaps hurt or even…Mikey didn't want to think about the other possibility, no matter how unlikely.

_Miwa…_ Mikey swallowed the lump in his throat. _Where are you?_


	12. TMNT: Return to New York Part Three

**Chapter Twelve- "Return to New York Part 3"**

Baxter's cruel, maniacal laugh rang out through the air, sending chills up Miwa's spine. The Stockman in her dimension was evil, yes; but at least he wasn't a complete lunatic. The fact that this Stockman was also in a high-powered battle suit did absolutely nothing to help the rising danger.

"Do you know the most brilliant thing about my evil plan?" Stockman asked. "I used you, Shredder, to transform me into this ultra-cyborg you see before you! A truly superior work of genius! But all good things must come to an end. It's time to bid you adieu."

"What are you going to do?" Miwa demanded. "Blow us up? You'll only crush the building and kill yourself as well."

Stockman smirked evilly at the girl. "Interestingly enough, I _do _plan to blow you all up. But in a more…..sophisticated way." He aimed one of the guns right towards them.

"Incoming!" Raph called as three missiles suddenly shot from the barrels. Many of the ninjas jumped aside, and the missiles hit the Foot Techs instead, knocking them off their feet. The shockwave from the blast sent Miwa stumbling backwards and almost falling out of the hole in the floor before Splinter could grab her hand and pull her back. But they had to move again when Stockman sent another missile. Small fires started around the building, small but slowly getting bigger.

Splinter started for Stockman, but Miwa stopped him. "No, wait."

"What?" Splinter demanded. "Why?"

"There's no use wasting our energy when his main goal is Shredder." Miwa explained. "We wait for now, and he may just do our job for us."

Stockman approached the Elite Ninja, standing ready to fight Stockman and defend their master. Stockman, however, would not stand for it. "Out of my way!" he shouted, letting loose three more missiles that made the ground crumble underneath the ninjas. While Stockman had his back turned, Shredder suddenly leaped into the air right towards him. But Stockman spun around and harshly knocked Shredder aside and into a wall, slumping to the ground.

"Now where did Hun get to?" Stockman sneered.

Miwa's eyes widened as Stockman went after Hun. "Yikes. The term 'loony' no longer covers it."

"I knew Stockman was bad, but this is insane!" Raph growled.

"Um, guys?" Mikey whimpered. "What are we gonna do when Stockman turns on us?"

"You made it all possible, Shredder!" Stockman shouted, sounding more and more maniacal by the second. "And didn't suspect a thing! You pompous, overblown ignoramus! But the time has come for you to be reeducated in my brilliance!" Stockman's mechanical hand shot forward and grabbed Shredder, slamming him into walls and windows and beams before throwing him to the ground. Oroku Saki laid there, limply like a rag doll, while Stockman just laughed in triumph.

"It took everything we had to beat the Shredder last time." Raph breathed.

"And Robo-Nut just took him out in four point five seconds!" Donnie added. "The Shredder _and _Hun!"

"Um….." Mikey raised his hand nervously. "Can we go home now?"

"And now, the freaks." Stockman said, turning to the mutants and Miwa. "It's most fortuitous that you're here, really. You're on my list of 'Parties Responsible for Recent Misfortunes in My Life'. The charges are: ruining my genius work, interfering with my brilliant schemes, and hammering my destiny as the world's foremost criminal and scientific prodigy!"

"Okay, I've heard enough." Miwa sighed. She leaped up into the air and landed hard on the window separating her from Stockman. She slammed her fists into the glass and unsheathed her gauntlet claws, sending them right through the glass and nearly impaling Stockman in the face. Stockman glared at the girl and suddenly grabbed her, hoisting her into the air and launching a fire ball towards the Turtles and Splinter, forcing them to jump away. He fired his machine gun at them, making them move again to avoid the bullets. Stockman turned to Splinter and fired missiles at the rat, only for Splinter to flip away to safety. However, the fires from the missiles caused one of the beams to fall and Splinter disappeared in the smoke and flames. He reappeared seconds later, slamming his staff against the window to Stockman. The mad genius suddenly threw Miwa aside and hit Splinter off him as though he were a fly, knocking him to the ground. Miwa hit a beam and slumped to the floor, her head throbbing. She looked up, but her vision became clouded and blurry; all she could see was a giant white fuzzy being attacked by smaller green fuzzies. She shook her head to clear her vision; the second she did, she had to jump away to avoid another round of missiles.

Miwa pushed herself to her feet and noticed Donnie and Mikey pull out grappling hooks and rope. She smirked and darted for Stockman. "Hey Stockman! Catch me if you can!"

"You insolent little girl!" Stockman growled, firing his machine gun for her. "What do you think you will accomplish by running around in circles?" He stopped firing when something wrapped around his robotic legs and looked down to see them tangled in the grappling hooks and rope. "Rope? You try to stop _me _with rope? How positively primitive."

"I got your primitive!" Raph shouted. "Right here!" He jumped up and landed a hard kick to Stockman's suit. Because his feet remained tangled, Stockman stumbled and wobbled before finally falling backwards through the hole he once came from, landing with a hard _CRASH _at the bottom.

"That's one minor annoyance disposed of." Shredder said, glaring at his enemies still standing. "Now to finish you fools!"

"Because heaven forbid you should thank us for that." Miwa huffed. They stood ready to fight, but they had to jump back when Stockman reappeared, flying from rocket boosters in his suit. He looked unharmed, but madder than ever, particularly at the mutants before him.

"You insufferable nitwits!" Stockman shouted. "Dr. Baxter Stockman is not so easily dismissed! Kiss your shells goodbye, freaks." He launched fire at the turtles, forcing them to jump back and duck. Miwa lunged for Stockman, but he caught her easily in his robotic hand.

"Put me down!" Miwa ordered, struggling in his grip.

"You're an interesting one." Stockman mused. "Not a mutant. Wearing the Shredder's claws. You also seem to have his temper. Are you his daughter by any chance?" He turned to Shredder and held up Miwa for him to see. "Oh Shredder! Does this belong to you?"

"Let her go!" Leo shouted, jumping towards Stockman. Stockman fired his machine gun at Leo, only to miss him by inches as the turtle sliced through the arm that held the gun, disconnecting it from Stockman. Distracted, Miwa seized the opportunity and wiggled from Stockman's grip, darting over to join the boys.

"My robotic arm!" Stockman shouted. "No!" He fired missiles towards Leo, but Miwa tackled him out of the way. Still, the shockwave sent them crashing into the wall and Leo fell half-unconscious. Stockman took a few calming breaths. "It's nothing. Just a momentary nuisance. My backup systems—"

Shredder seemed to have caught on, because he suddenly lunged and sliced right through Stockman's robotic leg, forcing him to wobble; Mikey, Donnie, and Raph jumped up into the air and simultaneously kicked Stockman's chest, forcing him to fly right out the window. Everyone listened as Stockman screamed, "This is just a minor setback!" before crashing to the ground once more.

"Let's hope he stays down this time." Miwa sighed.

"I'm gonna miss that guy." Mikey said. "Not!" They paused when they noticed the Shredder, still standing and ready to fight.

"All right, Shredder!" Leo shouted, drawing his swords. "Let's finish this!"

"I intend to!" Shredder assured, raising his claws.

Miwa raised her own claws, but she noticed something missing. She turned and saw Splinter, leaning against one of the columns with a pained look on his face and leaning heavily on his walking stick for support. "Splinter?"

_BOOM! CRASH!_

Everyone shouted in surprise as a shockwave sent them flying. Miwa grunted as she hit the ground, right at Splinter's feet. He knelt down and helped her sit up. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine." Miwa assured. "You?"

"Fine." Splinter nodded, but Miwa could tell he was lying. Unfortunately, she had to turn her attention to Stockman as he yet again returned from his crash-landing unharmed.

"My internal jetpack array!" Stockman laughed. "I spared no expense! And why should I? After all, _you _were footing the bill, Shredder!" He let loose more missiles, sending everyone flying backwards and hitting something.

"Man, can somebody please shut down that giant, flying toaster oven?" Mikey groaned.

Donnie jumped and knocked aside missiles aimed for him. "Maybe we can pull his plug! Leo, his exo-suit's power supply! Those radium power cells on his back!"

"On it!" Leo nodded, jumping up towards the cyborg.

"You pions stand no chance against my vastly, superior intellect." Stockman declared, firing missiles but missing Leo by a mile. "I, Dr. Baxter Stockman, shall—" Leo suddenly sliced through the cables on the robot's back, forcing the suit to malfunction, power down, and fall, taking Stockman with it.

"Finally!" Mikey sighed. "Shut him down and shut him up!"

"No kidding." Miwa nodded. She turned to face Shredder, but Stockman suddenly rose again, his machine sparking a little.

"What do we have to do to stop this guy?" Leo wondered aloud.

"I have asked myself that question many times." Shredder assured.

"That ploy might have worked against a lesser mechanoid." Stockman mocked. "But as always, I'm one step ahead in my design work. In addition to the center power nodules, each component of my cyborg armor has its own internal backup power source. Ha!"

Miwa growled and started for Stockman, but Splinter held her back. "When I get my hands on you, Stockman," Miwa shouted. "I'm gonna rip you in half!"

"Wait a minute." Donnie held up a hand to stop Miwa, stowing his bō away and picking up Stockman's amputated robotic arm. "So, what you're saying is this arm should still be fully functional, right?"

Stockman turned and noticed the gun aimed right for him. "Oh no." He turned and started hopping away.

"Fire in the hole!" Donnie shouted. Everyone jumped and ducked down as Donnie fired a large blast from the cannon-like gun, hitting Stockman and sending him flying into the sky, ending with a huge explosion that no one could've lived through.

Miwa looked around, noting all the broken wood and glass, the flames slowly spreading all around them, and just the overall damage that had been done. "We have to get out of here." She whispered, starting for the door. But she noticed no one followed her, mostly because their focus remained on the lone figure standing amongst the flames.

"Now where were we?" Shredder wondered. "Oh, yes." He suddenly sent his foot backwards, executing a perfect back kick that sent Raph and Donnie flying backwards. Miwa charged for Shredder, but he kicked her in the stomach, sending her bouncing off the floor and into the window. Shredder jumped up, his claws aimed for Mikey, who still remained on the ground. Frozen in his spot, Mikey could only cover his head and wait for the blow.

"Michelangelo!" Splinter leaped up towards his son. "No!" He pushed Mikey aside just as Shredder's claws sliced through the air, nicking his ear before he could land a safer distance away. The rat glared at Shredder, furious that he would do _anything _to harm Splinter's sons. Shredder charged for Splinter and leaped up, aiming a kick for the rat. Splinter started to move to dodge it, but in a split-second he caught sight of Miwa behind him, struggling to stand and wheezing from getting the wind knocked out of her. In that same second, Splinter knew he couldn't move or Shredder would hit Miwa instead. So he stood there, protectively, and let Shredder's foot slam into his chest.

"Splinter!" Miwa shouted as the rat flew towards her. He suddenly slammed into her, sending them both crashing through the window and outside. They screamed in terror as they hurdled towards the ground, faster and faster as the wind rushed past them. Miwa grabbed Splinter's wrist and pulled him close, trying to use herself as a cushion to his fall when they hit the ground. _I hope this doesn't hurt too much. _She prayed. _For him and for me. I promised you would live, Splinter, and I intend to keep that promise._

When Miwa looked up, she noticed Leo diving right towards them, with a rope in one hand and his other one reaching out and grabbing Splinter's wrist. Miwa wrapped an arm around Splinter's chest—ignoring the sickening feeling of broken bones moving beneath the flesh—and held on as Leo swung over across the street, kicked off the building, and swung back to an overhang around the side of Shredder's headquarters. Leo let go of the rope and Splinter, landing softly on the ground and catching his master before he could hit the ground. Miwa let go while she was still in the air and crashed to the ground, bouncing and rolling before hitting a wall.

Leo hurried to the wall and knelt down beside the girl. "Miwa! Are you okay?"

Miwa groaned, pushing herself to a kneeling position and tucking her wind-blown hair behind her ears. "Bloody…brilliant…"

Leo smirked softly before returning his attention to Splinter, lying limply in his arms. He gently set Splinter on the ground, resting him up against the wall. Miwa moved closer to Splinter's side, pressing her fingers against his neck. She felt a pulse, weak but steady, and the pressure made Splinter stir. He groaned in pain, wearily opening his eyes.

"Leonardo? Miwa?" his voice came out strained and soft, clearly indicating how much pain he was in.

"You're going to be okay, Master Splinter." Leo assured. "We're going to get you help; I'll get the others."

"No…..Leonardo…worry not….." Splinter protested softly. "This is no longer about me."

"Master Splinter, I—" Leo tried to say, but Splinter interrupted him.

"You must…...return to the battle…" Splinter insisted, his voice weak and slightly strained from his injuries. "Protect your brothers….defeat the Shredder….I will be there with you…..in spirit."

"Splinter…" Miwa breathed.

"Now go….." Splinter gently pushed Leo away, towards the battle. "Leave me…."

"NO, Master Splinter!" Leo said firmly.

"I know you will lead your brothers well." Splinter assured. "My son…my son….." His voice became weaker, almost a whisper, and he groaned in pain.

Leo looked reluctant as ever, but he finally submitted. He took Splinter's paw and pushed his walking stick into it. "It's going to be all right." He promised. "We'll be back for you, I promise. Just hang on."

Splinter didn't say anything, but he looked satisfied, shutting his eyes and dipping his chin to his chest. Miwa took his free paw in her hand and gave it a comforting squeeze.

"Miwa…." Leo started.

"Don't you _dare _tell me to leave him." Miwa said firmly.

Leo blinked. "I thought you owed Shredder a 'good old' punch to the face'."

"I already laid a few blows on him." Miwa shrugged. "I'm satisfied. But I made a promise that I would protect Splinter and make sure he got out of this alive."

"Why would you make a promise like that?" Leo asked.

Miwa looked up and locked eyes with the blue-masked turtle. "Because I care about him. And I had a dream before we came here; a dream where your father in this dimension and my father in mine both died before my eyes. On this very rooftop. I nearly lost my father once, and I won't suffer through that pain again; not in this dimension, in my dimension, or in any other dimension." She gestured to the sounds of battle just over the ridge. "Go. Put Shredder in the ground where he belongs. I promise I will stay with Splinter and help him as much as I can."

"You won't leave him?"

"I'll never leave his side."

Leo stared at his father's still form for a moment before rubbing his eyes to stop the tears. He locked eyes with Miwa, who smiled and nodded encouragingly. He turned and growled in the direction of the battle, furious beyond belief. He took off running, right into the battle.

Miwa stared after Leo until he disappeared before turning back to Splinter. She put a hand to his forehead, feeling the heat rising and a fever coming on. She gently put a hand on his chest, only for him to hiss in pain and open his eyes.

"Sorry." Miwa said sincerely.

"I am fine." Splinter sighed.

Miwa growled to herself. "I wish I could help. The most I can do is reset broken limbs; I don't know what to do about a broken chest plate and ribs. Donnie would know what to do; he _always _knows what to do in medical situations. I can't—"

"Miwa." Splinter spoke firmly, giving her hand a squeeze. "You have done all that you could….I am very proud…"

"Splinter, don't speak." Miwa ordered gently. "You have to stay still so you don't hurt yourself anymore."

Splinter stared at the ground. "You should go….help the others…"

"I will not leave you." Miwa said firmly.

Splinter smiled softly. "You are so loyal…and brave….."

"I have to be." Miwa sighed. "It's how I was raised. Shredder is many things, but one of those things is that he is a great warrior. He trained me to be who I am as a ninja." She stared at the ground. "My life got _really _complicated when I got close to the Turtles and Splinter in my dimension. I'm still trying to figure out just who I am. Am I a Foot or a Lotus? If Splinter is truly my father why do I feel a slight connection to Shredder?" She hung her head. "My life is really weird."

Splinter chuckled weakly. "It takes time to discover who you truly are. I am sure you will find out soon." He coughed a little, winced in pain.

"Don't talk." Miwa said. "Just rest. You have to stay still. The guys will be back soon and we'll get you help."

Splinter only coughed again into his sleeve, this time coughing blood into the fabric. Miwa pursed her lips and held Splinter's paw in both hands. Miwa turned as a blast sounded from over the ridge, no doubt from the battle between the Turtles and Shredder. She turned back to Splinter, now unconscious, and sighed. Suddenly, her ears caught the sound of feet hitting concrete, and she spun around to see men in trench coats approaching her and Splinter. Each man wore a grey trench coat, a matching navy shirt and pants, silver wristwatches, black sunglasses, and black shoes. Their hair was pulled up in a short, high ponytail and a gold medallion hung around their necks. A sword handle poked out from under their coats.

"Who are you?" Miwa demanded. "What do you want?"

The men didn't answer. One of them held up their wristwatch and pressed a button. "Sir, we've located the rat."

"_Retrieve him quickly and then get out of there." _A voice said from the watch. _"We do not want a conflict with the Shredder if we can avoid it. We'll be there soon to pick you up, but secure the rat as soon as possible."_

"Yes sir." The man nodded.

Miwa glared and unsheathed her gauntlet claws. "You want him? You'll have to go through me."

"We don't want any trouble, kid." Another man said. "Just step aside."

"Not going to happen." Miwa growled.

"Girl, if you do not move," the first man warned. "I'm afraid we will force you." He and his four other comrades drew their swords, pointing them towards Miwa.

The konoichi only stood and took a strong stance. "Come and claim him."

The first man lunged into battle, swinging his sword towards Miwa's head. She ducked and swept his legs, forcing him to the ground. She kicked him aside as the second man charged, stabbing his sword towards Miwa's chest. Miwa clapped her hands over the blade and kicked it the handle from his hands. She grabbed the man's wrist when he aimed a punch and threw him into the wall, throwing the sword like a javelin and catching his coat to pin him to the wall. The third and fourth men came together, swinging their swords and shouting in effort. Miwa blocked their attacks skillfully with her gauntlet blades, kicking one man in the stomach and punching the other in the face. Miwa looked around for the fifth man and noticed him sneaking up from the side, going straight for Splinter. Miwa jumped up and spun around, performing a perfect high kick that nailed the man in the nose. He stumbled back, holding his now bloody and broken nose. Miwa turned to her opponents, struggling to stand and face her again.

Miwa looked back and glanced at Splinter, still propped up against the wall and not moving. The brief moment of distraction gave the first man just enough time to grab a length of rope and throw it, wrapping an end around Miwa's wrist. He yanked her forward, forcing her to jump to stay on her feet. She pulled back her wrist, fighting to stay in control as the man tried to pull her forward. The third man looped a second length of rope around her free wrist, pulling in the opposite direction. Miwa glanced back and noticed the second and fourth men advancing towards Splinter. The fifth man was still holding his nose. Miwa growled and took a hold of the ropes jerking them towards her and causing the two men to collide into each other. Miwa jumped forward and performed a perfect split kick, knocking the second and fourth men away from her father.

Miwa suddenly felt something hit her back and sharp volts of electricity coursed through her body. She gritted her teeth in pain and slumped to the ground, panting a little. She looked to the side to see the fifth man, still holding his nose and also reeling in the wires from the Taser in his hand. The first man grabbed Miwa roughly by her shirt and tossed her aside. She hit the ground hard and struggled to push herself to her feet. She glanced over at the five men approaching Splinter, not moving and clearly not aware of the danger. She felt rage boiling in her blood and a burst of speed returned to her. She used it to dart over, jump over the men's heads, and gently wrapped her arms around Splinter, holding him close and glaring at the men. Her unsettling gaze made the men step back.

"If you kill him, you'll have to kill me first." Miwa growled.

The men exchanged stares, looking confused and shocked by the girl's tone and glare.

"Wait! Wait!"

The men turned and sheathed their swords, bowing respectfully. Miwa looked past them and noticed a Caucasian man approach them, wearing a nice black suit, a black dress shirt, and a purple tie. His hair and goatee were also a lavender color, yet Miwa felt as though it wasn't dyed. The man also wore purple tinted sunglasses over his blue eyes. The men parted for the man as he approached, still bowing in respect.

"Master." The men said in unison.

The man nodded to the swordsmen before turning to Miwa, who held Splinter tighter. "It's all right, young one. I will not hurt you."

"Forgive me if I _seriously _doubt that." Miwa snarled.

The man looked a little nervous as the slowly knelt down to her eye level. "Guardians. The helicopter is on the apartment building across the street and down that way." He pointed in front of him, down the street, but kept his eyes on Miwa. "Go get it and a stretcher for us and our guests."

"Yes, Mr. Mortu." The first man nodded, bowing. He and his comrades ran off and disappeared around a corner.

"Mortu?" Miwa asked.

"That's my name." the man nodded. "Mortu. And what is yours?"

Miwa narrowed her eyes, keeping her arms around her father and not breaking her gaze with Mortu.

Mortu sighed. "All right, you can tell me later. How do you know the Turtles and Master Splinter?"

"How do _you _know them?" Miwa demanded.

"Ah, she speaks!" Mortu chuckled. He jumped and turned towards a loud explosion, noticing the flames coming over the edge. "You must come with me where it's safe. You and your master." He came closer to Miwa and Splinter, but Miwa held out a fist and unsheathed her gauntlet claws.

"You come any closer and I'll slit your throat." Miwa snarled.

"Please, child, you must trust me." Mortu pleaded sincerely. "I want to help you; and help Master Splinter. I can see he's hurt badly and I have the resources that can save his life."

"How can you possibly help?" Miwa demanded.

Mortu sighed and slowly inched forward, carefully avoiding Miwa's claws, and put a hand on Splinter's chest. He winced at the feeling of bones shifting in ways they shouldn't. "Would it be easier if I asked what _isn't _broken?"

Miwa stared at Mortu, weighing her options at the moment. She could trust this man, hoping that there was a chance he had some medical knowledge she didn't; then she could save Splinter. Or she could tell the man to beat it before she murdered him (the more likely option) and she could get Splinter help…..but from where? Miwa and Mortu turned as two men approached on strange hover bikes; the exact same bikes that Miwa found in the garage where she fought the Foot Techs. _Must've stolen them from the Foot Ninjas. _Miwa thought with a small smirk.

"Mr. Mortu, we're ready." the first man from earlier announced as he and his partner dismounted from the bikes and carried a cloth stretcher to them.

Miwa took her claws and thrust them to Mortu's throat, forcing the men to halt in their tracks. Mortu stared a little fearfully at the blades, holding very still while Miwa glared at him. He gulped. "Please, I only ask for your trust. I want to help your master, I promise."

Miwa glared at him for a long time. "Wherever he goes, I go. That is absolutely necessary. I will not leave his side and if I say to not do something you will obey me. Because if you harm him in any way, if you do _anything _other than help my father—" She sliced her claws across Mortu's arm, slicing through his sleeve and barely nicking his arm. "—I….will…_kill_…..you."

"Done." Mortu assured. "Come on. Help us get Splinter on the stretcher." Miwa only sheathed her claws and slowly moved Splinter towards the stretcher. Mortu helped, but Miwa continued to glare at him all the while. They gently laid Splinter across the stretcher and the two men hooked the cloth to their bikes. Mortu and one rider climbed onto one bike while Miwa and the second climbed the other. The two riders slowly drove the bikes up into the air and stayed as even as they could as they flew through the air and down the street, towards a helicopter parked on an apartment complex at the corner. Another man came from the helicopter, helping Mortu and Miwa unhook the stretcher and carry Splinter into the helicopter. The men on the bikes rode off, leaving Miwa and Mortu as they boarded the helicopter. Mortu slammed the door shut and urged the pilot to fly. The helicopter took off, leaving the apartment behind them as they flew through the skies.

Miwa knelt down beside Splinter as he lay motionless on the ground and she noticed his walking stick missing. She soon realized they left it back at the Shredder's headquarters. But the thought was pushed aside and her focus returned to Splinter. She held one of his paws in both hands, gently rubbing her thumb against his hand. She smoothed out the disheveled fur on his head, her heart hurting more and more with every minute Splinter stayed unconscious. Mortu cast a concerned look, but only urged the pilot to ride faster. Miwa started humming softly, the same lullaby that her father in her dimension sang to her every night. She wouldn't let go of his hand, not even for a second, as though she were afraid he would disappear if she did.

"You should sleep, child." Mortu suggested kindly. "It has been a long night." Miwa glared up at Mortu. He sighed. "I know this is all happening so fast and you don't know if you can trust me; but I think you should still sleep. I promise I will wake you when we arrive."

Miwa felt the fatigue and exhaustion from the night's battles catch up to her. She reluctantly laid down, still holding Splinter's paw as she stayed as close to him as possible. She slowly closed her eyes, giving Splinter's paw a gentle squeeze before drifting off.


	13. Strange New Scenario

**Chapter Thirteen- Strange New Scenario**

Miwa wearily blinked her eyes open and found only blurry shapes and bright lights. Her head hurt, her limbs hurt, her…..well, _everything _hurt at the moment. Some strange people surrounded her along with a couple pink blurs that Miwa couldn't identify.

"Child?" a man's voice asked, his voice sounding like an echo underwater. "Can you hear us?"

"Blink once for yes and twice for no." a second voice said. Miwa blinked in confirmation.

"Where does it hurt?" the first man asked. "Our X-rays tell us that you have many broken bones. Does your head feel all right?"

_No, it hurts to even think about it. _Miwa blinked twice.

"She has a few broken ribs and a sprained ankle." One of the pink blurs said. "She also seems to have hyperextended her elbow somehow."

"She has a severe concussion." Another pink blur said. "I'm surprised she didn't crack her head wide open."

"We need to get her into the healing pods quickly." One of the voices said hurriedly.

"What about the rat?" a pink blur asked.

"We will work on him." One of the men said. "He needs some operational work before we can get him into a healing pod."

Miwa's head pounded and she felt like she floated on air, but when she heard them mention a rat, she immediately tried to move. "Splinter….Splinter…..where…."

One of the fuzzy people shushed her gently. "Just rest, child. You and your friend will be all right."

"No…." Miwa pushed to get to her feet. "Where's….my…..father?"

"You must stay still." One man gently put a hand on her shoulder. "You're in no position to—"

"Get off!" Miwa snapped, even though it caused her great pain. She jabbed her fist into one of the men, causing his hand to slip and suddenly push into her stomach. Miwa felt her insides churn and lurch. Something bubbled up in her stomach and she suddenly felt like she was choking. Someone grabbed her shoulders and turned her to her side and bile immediately came up and out of her mouth.

"Somebody get the sedative!" someone shouted.

"Daddy…" Miwa groaned, coughing and spitting bile from her mouth.

"Just be calm." Someone said soothingly. "We're going to help you and your father. I promise; on my honor as an Utrom."

_Oh great, I'm hallucinating. _Miwa coughed again, tasting something metallic.

"She's coughing up blood!" someone shouted. "Get the sedative and get her to the pod!"

Miwa felt a prick in her arm and her world went dark.

* * *

When Miwa opened her eyes again, she found her vision blurry yet again, only not as bad as before. More like she was underwater.

Wait….she _was _underwater!

Miwa looked around her and found she floated in a strange, oval-shaped chamber. Orange tinted water surrounded her. She moved her limbs a little, expecting pain but feeling nothing. She moved slowly and carefully, but no pain came. When she looked down, however, she jumped a little at the sight of her underwear and bra. She looked around frantically, closing her mouth to hold her breath. She raised her fist to smash through her confines, but then she noticed a man outside the pod, waving his arms frantically to stop her.

"Don't break that pod!" the man said hurriedly. "We will get you out of there soon. And don't bother holding your breath; the water inside the chamber is meant to heal your internal organs and give you oxygen. Just give us a few minutes and we'll have you out soon." The man typed some things on a panel in front of him, and a strange mask dropped down into the pod. "Put that mask on; it's an oxygen mask. Just breathe evenly and calmly and I'll see how your lung capacity is working." Miwa stared at him suspiciously, but obeyed and hooked the mask around her head. She took a breath, and cool oxygen filled her slightly burning lungs. The man nodded and scribbled some things down on a clipboard. A woman approached, carrying a large towel and a briefcase. The man pressed a button and the water inside the pod suddenly drained away until Miwa's feet touched the ground. She wobbled a little as she removed the mask, leaning against the walls of the pod to steady herself. The woman handed the briefcase to the man and walked up to Miwa, gently wrapping the towel around her shoulders. Miwa jerked away from the woman, glaring distrustfully at her and the man.

"Where am I?" Miwa demanded. "What happened? And where the shell are my clothes?"

"It's all right." The man assured as Miwa and the woman approached him. "You were injured very badly. The healing pod did most of the work in healing your wounds, seeing how many were internal." He pulled out a stethoscope from the briefcase and checked Miwa's heart rate and breathing, all while she glared at him.

"Where's my father?" Miwa demanded.

"Father?" the woman asked.

"The rat!" Miwa snapped. "The deal with Mortu was that—"

"You would remain by his side at all times." The man finished, checking Miwa's blood pressure as he talked. "We know. But you were wounded just like him and Mortu wanted you to be operated on as soon as possible."

"Operated?" Miwa repeated.

"Just some work to fix your ribs and elbow." The man assured. "The healing pod did the rest. Once you're dressed, we'd like to run a few tests to make sure everything's fine."

"Where is the rat?" Miwa asked again. "Where's Splinter?"

The man sighed. "Right there." He pointed behind Miwa, and she spun around to see more pods next to the one she just came from. To the left of her pod, she spied a rat floating in the same orange tinted water, perfectly still except for the small waves of his fur in the water.

"Splinter." Miwa breathed, walking up to the pod and pressing her hand to it. She stared at Splinter's still face, fearing the worst. "Is he…?"

"No, he's fine." The man assured. "For the most part. He was mortally wounded when we found him and you. Mortu brought you two here to heal. When you didn't wake up after he tried to rouse you, he became worried and sent the two of you right here."

Miwa looked down. "So he's not going to die?"

"He just needs to stay in the pod for a few more days." The man said. "His chest plate is still fractured in many places and one of his lungs is still recovering from being punctured. But once everything is healed, he should be fine." Miwa continued to stare at the ground until the man approached her. "Come. We have your clothes in your room; you can change and we'll lead you right back here."

Miwa didn't more for a long time, but she finally nodded and reluctantly let the woman lead her away through the building. She hardly paid any attention to where she was going; her head still hurt, especially when the lights hit her eyes. So she kept her gaze to the floor, water dripping off her body and hair. The woman led her to a sort of recreation room, consisting of only a couch, coffee table, dresser, TV, and desktop computer on table in the corner.

"I'm sorry we don't have anything more exciting." The woman said sincerely. "We don't normally have guests in this building." Miwa didn't say anything; she just stood in the room, her back to the woman. "Your clothes are there on the table, as are your weapons and mask. We had them all cleaned." Still, Miwa said nothing. The woman only sighed a little awkwardly. "Mr. Mortu will be here soon; he wishes to speak with you. He will lead you to the rat." She turned and walked out, shutting the door behind her. Miwa sighed through her nose and began to dry off, getting as dry and possible so she didn't get her clothes too wet. She pulled on her ninja gear and her gauntlets. She didn't bother wearing her mask; these people knew who she was anyway. She tied her mask to her wrist and used her freshly cleaned black ribbon to tie her hair into a ponytail at the nape of her neck.

_Knock knock knock._

Miwa spun around and unsheathed her gauntlet claws as Mortu stepped in, jumping at the sight of the young girl in ninja clothes about to run him through. "Do you _always _bring out those things when someone knocks?"

"Only when approached by someone I don't know." Miwa corrected.

"I thought we knew each other." Mortu said with a smile. "I'm Mortu. Although, I suppose I do not know _your _name."

Miwa eyed the man for a moment before lowering her stance. "My name is Hamato Miwa."

"Now _that _is a beautiful name." Mortu complimented.

Miwa looked down. "My father says it was the only name he and my mother could agree on. They wanted a name that would be unique to my personality."

"They made a good choice." Mortu nodded.

Miwa's gaze hardened. "Remember we had a deal, Mortu. Take me to my father _now_."

Mortu sighed. "Very well. Come along." Miwa followed Mortu from the room and down the hallway. "Now, I would appreciate it if you stayed either in that room or in the healing chambers. No snooping."

"Why not?" Miwa demanded. "What do you have to hide?"

"Don't be offended or suspicious." Mortu assured. "I stay wary of many people. The Guardians are specially chosen before we even ask them to join."

"Who are the Guardians?" Miwa asked. "And you also have yet to reveal to me how you know my brothers and father."

"Coincidentally, _you _have neglected to tell me how _you _know them." Mortu countered.

Miwa huffed. "Fine. We'll go back and forth; I ask a question, you answer, and vice versa."

"Sounds good." Mortu nodded. "Fire away."

"Who are the Guardians?" Miwa asked.

"They are a special group of martial artists that protect me and my brethren." Mortu said simply. "Before we knew about the Turtles and Master Splinter, we relied on the Guardians to defend us from the Shredder. My turn: how do you know the Turtles and Splinter?"

"They're my brothers and father." Miwa explained. "Sort of. I'm from another dimension and somehow ended up bouncing through a few more dimensions to get here. The Turtles and Splinter here are like counterparts for my Turtles and Splinter back home."

"Interesting." Mortu mused.

"My turn." Miwa said. "How do _you _know my family?"

"My Guardians discovered them some months ago." Mortu explained. "We have been monitoring them when we realized that we shared a common enemy: the Shredder."

"I see." Miwa nodded. "So you aren't their enemy?"

"I thought it was my turn to ask a question?" Mortu laughed. "But no, I am not their enemy." He thought for a moment. "How about this: where did you get those claws?"

"I made them." Miwa said. "We have a Shredder in my dimension and he kidnapped me when I was a baby. He raised me for fifteen years, and so I made these claws to be like my 'father'." She looked around the strange hallway they walked through, red with a design that looked almost plant-like. "Next question: what kind of building is this?"

Mortu looked around. "That's a little hard to explain. It's just something our design team came up with; they said it would 'add a little flare' to such a boring office building." Mortu smiled. "I think they did all right."

Miwa raised an eyebrow, but nodded as she and Mortu stepped through a pair of automatic doors. Miwa looked ahead and her eyes locked with Splinter's still form, floating in his pod. She darted ahead and stopped right in front of the pod, staring at Splinter's face. He looked in pain and tired, obviously fatigued from the events of the past two days. Mortu stepped up beside Miwa and placed a hand on her shoulder comfortingly. This time, Miwa didn't shove him away.

"You're welcome to stay here as long as you want." Mortu said. "Once your father heals, we can get you two home. I'm sure the Turtles are worried about you. I will send someone for you when you're ready to go to bed, and they will escort you back to the…..er, _guest _room." He smiled softly, but received no answer from Miwa. So he simply sighed and turned to walk off.

"I have one more question." Miwa's voice made Mortu pause.

"What is that, Miwa?" Mortu asked.

Miwa turned and glared at Mortu. "What are you?"

Mortu blinked. "I am Mortu. You know that."

"I asked _what_, not _who_." Miwa said.

Mortu looked down. "I'm afraid…." He paused. "….I do not understand your question. I will see you later."

Miwa glared after Mortu until he disappeared. _You can't hide forever, Mortu._

* * *

For the next three days, Miwa stayed with Mortu in the office building. Every morning, Mortu would join her in the "guest" room for breakfast and they were talk for a time (mostly on Splinter's condition). Then Mortu would escort her to Splinter, where Miwa sat before the pod for the remainder of the day. No one else came into the large room with the exceptions of a doctor (once in a while) and Mortu when he came to bring Miwa lunch and dinner. Then Mortu would gently coax Miwa back to her room and she slept on the couch. A normal, daily routine. The only thing is that Miwa got a little bored when she sat with Splinter all day. The machines meant nothing to her, so she could only guess that he was healing well. Most of the time, she could only meditate or pace around. She _really _wished she hadn't left her sketchbook and pens back at the lair; they would've come in handy in those three days. But Miwa didn't complain; she just waited for Splinter to stir or rise or give a sign he was even alive.

Nothing unusual….not really….

But in those three days, Miwa noticed odd things happening around the building. Like how Mortu would act secretive when Miwa asked about his past, or when he forbade her from going anywhere other than her room or to Splinter (he said, "No snooping", but that's how Miwa interpreted it.). In fact, Miwa wasn't allowed to leave the building. What's more, the other people in the building seemed to fear her. Perhaps it was because she would unsheathe her claws every time someone approached her. She didn't mean to spook anyone, but she felt on edge when she was around everyone. Even the Guardians made her uneasy, even when one of them kindly offered to spar with her once. Miwa wanted to investigate, to find out why Mortu would be so seclusive, but she was too concerned for Splinter's safety and what would happen if she made a wrong move.

Still….something didn't seem right….

"Miss Hamato."

Miwa jumped and spun around to see Mortu some feet behind her. "Heaven above, don't startle me like that. You'll earn a pair of claws to your face."

Mortu chuckled nervously. "Right. I'll keep that in mind. I have something for you."

"What is it?" Miwa asked.

Mortu pulled out something from behind his back. "Ta-da!"

Miwa's eyes widened when she saw a small, familiar bag in his hand. She hurriedly took in and looked inside. Sure enough, the sketchbook, pens, and colored pencils rested inside. "Where did you get this?"

"We sent the Guardians to Shredder's headquarters." Mortu explained. "They found the bag and thought it a little out of place. I hope you don't mind, but they looked in the sketchbook and saw the pictures, figuring it was yours."

Miwa knew he lied, but she put on a smile. "Thank you, Mortu. This means a lot to me."

"Of course." Mortu nodded. "Perhaps now you won't be so bored while you sit out here." He pulled out his phone as it started ringing and sighed. "Oh, what now?" He flipped open the phone and put it to his ear. "What is it? Now? But I—" He groaned. "Fine. Just tell them to keep their hair on." A pause. "It's an expression!" Mortu hung up forcefully, pinching the bridge of his nose. "If you'll excuse me; I have something to attend to."

"Of course." Miwa nodded. She turned and sat back down on the few steps to the pods, pulling out her sketchbook to draw. She watched Mortu walk off until he disappeared, her eyes glaring daggers into his back. She mulled over what he said, wondering why he would lie about sending people into the lair. She wondered if there were cameras in the room, and that's how Mortu knew she wanted her sketchbook. Did this mean that Mortu and the Guardians knew where the lair was? And, if they did, would they be a threat to the Turtles? _Oh, no. The guys. _Miwa sighed. _They're probably worried sick about us. They probably didn't even see us disappear. _Miwa flipped open the sketchbook to a fresh page and started drawing, but her thoughts remained on the problem at hand. _Why hide this from me? What possible danger are you putting me or you in by revealing your secrets? _Miwa wished she knew the answer, but nothing could be done at the moment. Besides, just thinking about the situation made her brain hurt. So she resumed her drawing, starting with Mortu and continuing to the rooms she sat in. She drew the Shredder from her memory and even the Sword of Tengu. She drew Splinter's head from about every angle she could think of before becoming so bored that she just doodled a little on a new page.

That night, Miwa found sleep evaded her. It didn't matter that the couch was soft and long enough for her to fit comfortably. She could only stare at the ceiling, her hair splayed out everywhere across her pillow. Everything that happened in the last few days swirled around in her head like a furious whirlpool, until she finally decided she would not rest until she got answers. So she sat up, tied her hair back in a braid, strapped her gauntlets to her wrists, and tucked her mask into her bag and slung it over her shoulder. She quietly stood from the couch and went right for the computer, powering it up and sitting comfortably in the chair. Thankfully, no password was required. But as Miwa scrolled through some of the documents and the internet history, she found nothing out of the ordinary….except for one thing.

"'Turtle Surveillance'?" Miwa whispered. She clicked on the folder and her eyes widened a little when she saw it full of pictures; pictures of the Turtles and Splinter. Miwa clicked away, looking through each picture carefully. She found pictures of the guys in battle, hanging around in the lair, and even out on patrol. Miwa's eyebrows furrowed in confusion and suspicion, wondering why Mortu would spy on the Turtles and then not tell Miwa about it. She quickly shut down the computer and snuck to the door. She slowly twisted the doorknob, only to find it locked. Miwa made a _tsk tsk _sound. "Oh, Mortu. You _clearly _underestimate me." She pulled a bobby pin from her hair and bent it a certain way before sticking it into the lock. She moved it around a moment before hearing the _click _and stuck the pin back into her hair. She slowly opened the door and peered out, looking both ways down the hallway before sneaking out and closing the door behind her. She knew that if she went left, she'd reach Splinter in no time; she turned right, sneaking down the hallway like a shadow, just as she was trained to do.

Getting through the building unseen was easy; trying to find something useful, not so much. No matter where she looked, she couldn't find anything remotely interesting or relevant to what she wanted to find. She also became forced to duck behind something multiple times as people wandered about the hallways. This only furthered Miwa's confusion, and she wondered why these people worked so late. One particular time gave Miwa no choice but to disappear into the vent in the ceiling.

"If you ask me, I think Mortu is being too trusting." One man said. "That girl is going to kill us!"

"Not if she trusts us!" his companion argued. "She's on edge and for good reasons; that rat is her father."

The first man sighed. "I can understand Mortu's compassion; those Turtles are important to us. But would it really hurt anyone if we were just a _little _more honest with them?"

"We just have to wait for the right time." The second man said. "We must trust Mortu; if not, then we must trust the Council."

Miwa stayed quiet until the two men passed, out of earshot. _Hmm….Council, huh? _She started crawling through the vent, staying mostly on her stomach as she moved through the metal tunnel. She paused at every vent and listened for a few minutes to see if anyone else said something important. It wasn't until she spotted Mortu and one of the Guardians did she really pause and wait.

"Are you sure the Council will approve?" the Guardian asked.

"They must." Mortu nodded. "Gaining the Turtles' trust is the only way to get home without any complications."

"That girl being here is already a complication." The Guardian protested. "I've watched her for these past few days; she's restless and suspicious."

"I know."

"And you're not going to do anything about it?"

"I'm going to do what's best for my people. We've come too far for someone like her or the Shredder to get in the way."

"You talk like the Shredder's not dead. I was there; I saw the one called Leonardo decapitate him."

Mortu glared sternly. "You know as well as I do that Ch'rell is _not _easy to kill."

The Guardian sighed. "I understand. Come; the Council waits." He and Mortu entered a room and shut the door behind them. Miwa waited a minute before opening the vent and dropping down to the floor. She pressed her ear to the door, but heard nothing.

"Come on, come on." Miwa sighed. "What are you talking about?"

"Hey!"

Miwa's head jerked up when she noticed the two men from before running towards her. She turned and ran the other way, moving much faster than her pursuers and losing them easily. However, she rounded a corner and suddenly slammed into something bulky and metal. She and the object crashed to the floor, both of them groaning. Miwa rubbed her head as she sat up, but she noticed something that made her eyes widened and her jaw drop.

Small, pink, squid-like creatures with many tentacles, large round eyes, and a mouth full of pointed teeth, like a shark's. They floated in the air on strange disks and one lay on the ground, having just fallen out of an exosuit.

Miwa screamed.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry for the super late update. No time to write! (Screams in frustration). Hope you enjoyed this chapter and I'll have more up soon! Promise!**


	14. Mortu's Confession

**Chapter Fourteen- Mortu's Confession**

"Kraang!" Miwa screamed.

"Where?" the pink alien asked, jumping. Miwa scrambled to her feet and darted off down the hall, away from the aliens as one of them shouted, "Stop her!" Under normal circumstances, she would never be afraid of a Kraang. But considering everything that just happened and the shock of running right into one, her legs acted before her brain could process everything. She ran right past the two men that chased her before and desperately searched for the vent she came through. _Gotta find Splinter; gotta get out of here. _Those were her only thoughts as she jumped up into the vent and slammed it shut before one of the aliens on the floating disk could follow her.

The Utrom shook his head and watched as Miwa disappeared into the vent. "Somebody find Mortu, and quickly!"

"What's going on out here?" Mortu demanded as he and the Guardian came from the Council's room.

"That fast enough?" one Utrom smirked.

"Sir, it's the girl!" the first Utrom said hurriedly. "She escaped from her room and ran into us. Then she screamed and ran up into the vent!"

Mortu's eyes widened. "Find her! But don't fight her; she could hurt someone or herself. Bring her to the healing pods and I'll meet you there!" They split off, Mortu running for the healing chambers and two Utroms on floating disks hurrying through the vent after Miwa. They didn't get very far, however, when Miwa's fist came from around a corner, punching one alien and slamming the other into the floor. She kicked a vent open and jumped out, landing softly on the ground and running off. The aliens followed her, shouting for her to stop and firing a few lasers at her. Miwa spotted a window up ahead and jumped up, flipping over so her back hit the glass as she crashed through it, tumbling right through. Unfortunately, the other side of the glass revealed only a large room, and Miwa soon started falling the couple hundred feet or so straight down to the floor. She shouted in terror, but unsheathed her gauntlet claws and stabbed them into a ledge to stop her fall. She pushed off the ledge and flipped, landing softly on a beam stretching across the room. When she looked around, she noticed she stood back in the healing chambers. Which means Splinter—

"Miwa!"

Miwa looked down and noticed Mortu, a couple Guardians, and some of the aliens on the ground, standing before the pod that held Splinter. Miwa narrowed her eyes and suddenly jumped, diving towards the ground. Everyone jumped back in shock as Miwa flipped and landed crouching on the ground, growling a little at them.

"Miwa—" Mortu started, but Miwa swiped her claws towards him. He jumped back as one of the Guardians lunged with his sword, only for his attack to be blocked and Miwa's foot planted in his stomach. He hit the second Guardian and they both hit the ground. Miwa jumped and kicked one of the aliens on the flying disk, knocking him into his two friends. Miwa darted for Splinter, raising her claws to slice through the pod and free her father.

"Miwa, don't!" Mortu suddenly grabbed her arm to stop her, but she spun around and stabbed her claws into Mortu's chest. Sparks suddenly flew and electricity tendrils coursed through his body. Miwa jerked her claws free and watched in shock as Mortu stumbled back. He took a few breaths, as though shocked from the blow, but remained standing.

"You listen here, Kraang scum." Miwa growled, holding her claws ready. "If you harm my father so help me—"

"Miwa, listen to me!" Mortu interrupted. "I don't even know what a Kraang is!"

"Isn't that the guy who works in communications?" one alien asked.

"Not now." His friend hissed.

Mortu took his shirt and gently pulled it away, revealing a metal exosuit and yet another alien inside, where the stomach was. Miwa stared in horror, but Mortu (or at least the suit) raised his arms in assurance. "Miwa, listen to me. Please. My name _is _Mortu. My friends here are aliens, yes, but we are not called 'Kraang', as you put it. We are a peaceful race known as the Utroms."

Miwa stared at Mortu, looking back and forth between him and his friends behind him. "So…you're not trying to terraform the Earth and take it over?"

"Heavens no!" one of the Utroms on the disks said, as though offended Miwa would suggest such a thing. "We are a _peaceful _race of aliens simply trying to get home."

"But…." Miwa's thoughts ran a mile a minute. "How did you get here? And how did you find out about the Turtles and Splinter and how do you know the Shredder and why are you here and how—"

Mortu put his robotic hand over Miwa's mouth. "Please, Miwa. Let us talk in the morning, when we are all rested and you can focus better."

Miwa looked back at Splinter, still floating motionless in his pod. "Are you sure you're not going to hurt him?"

"We're only trying to help." Mortu promised. "You can even stay right here for the night."

Miwa eyed him cautiously as the Guardians and the Utroms walked from the room, leaving Mortu and Miwa alone. Truly exhausted from the recent ordeal, Miwa finally settled down to sleep on the steps. "Keep this in mind, Mortu: I am a _very _light sleeper and if you don't leave me here to sleep I'll gut you like a fish."

Mortu only chuckled. "I don't doubt that."

* * *

The next morning, Mortu discovered Miwa sitting up and sketching in her book, looking a little frazzled from last night but otherwise fine. In fact, when he walked up with their breakfast, she only looked up with a raised eyebrow.

"So you really _are _an alien." Miwa sighed. "I thought I was dreaming."

"Not freaked out anymore?" Mortu asked hopefully.

"I was initially shocked." Miwa admitted as Mortu sat down. "But when you have four turtles for brothers, a rat for a father, and you fight evil aliens every other week, you learn to expect the unexpected." Mortu smiled and set down a tray of food for the two of them. "It _is_ a little weird to see a man in front of me but also see an alien in his stomach."

Mortu laughed. "Now you understand why we stay hidden."

Miwa sighed and took a sip of her tea. "I can speculate."

Mortu glanced down at Miwa's sketchbook and noticed her most recent drawings. "Did you just make these?"

Miwa handed him the book. "Yeah. Most of it is from memory."

Mortu paused at a drawing of him, but with his alien form showing in the stomach of the exosuit. "Very nice. I'm impressed."

"Thanks." Miwa nodded. "It's a hobby more than anything. But I hear I'm pretty good at it." She took the book from Mortu and stuffed it and her coloring utensils in her bag. "Now, are you going to tell me what's going on?"

"Actually, I'd like to show you." Mortu said. "If you'd allow me."

Miwa stared at him with a slightly unnerving gaze. "I trust you for now, Mortu. If you're lying to me, I'll slice your tentacles off and shove them down your throat."

Mortu gulped a little nervously but nodded. Once the two finished breakfast, Mortu led Miwa away from the chambers and to another room deep in the building. This room was much smaller than the healing chambers, but still held the same design. Strange pods and things that Miwa couldn't name hung around the walls, down from the ceiling, and led right to the center of the room. Monitors and control panels formed a sort of circle around the center of the room. In the very center of the room stood a large object similar to the healing pods. There were even little pods with padded chairs and a monitor beside each pod. Somehow, the entire room looked…alive…..but Miwa dismissed it for now.

"What is this place?" Miwa asked.

"This is the Oracle Pod Chamber." Mortu explained, typing in some things on a control panel. "Where many minds and many memories can come together. I would like to show you our origins. From the first time we set foot….er, tentacle, on Earth. I created this to show our Guardians who we are so that they understood who and what they protect the Utroms from. I hope to someday show your brothers and father. But for now, I wish to show you."

Miwa rubbed her thumb against the strap of her backpack. "What does it do?"

"We will put you in one of these pods." Mortu explained. "And it will put you in our history, showing you everything that caused us to become what we are now."

Miwa raised an eyebrow. "It's not going to hurt me or something?"

"Not at all." Mortu assured. "It'll all be in your mind; like watching what you humans call a movie."

Miwa sighed through her nose and nodded. "All right, call me crazy, but let's do it. Just keep my threat it mind."

"As always." Mortu confirmed, leading Miwa to one of the pods. He helped her sit down and her hands became enclosed in small capsules. The pod door closed, and a strange helmet dropped from above and to her head. Miwa glared a little at Mortu, but remained silent. Mortu returned to the control panel and pressed more buttons. "Prepare yourself; you are about to become one with the memory of the Utroms. Just relax and stay calm. I promise nothing will happen to you."

Miwa nodded and settled into her seat. She closed her eyes, breathing calmly and slowly.

A swirl of grays and golds.

* * *

_Miwa looked around, but only saw the swirling colors and the ripple-like patterns. She looked down but didn't see any ground; however, she felt solid floor beneath her feet. _It's only in my head. _Miwa reminded herself. When the swirling colors stopped, Miwa stood on a strange structure, complete with monitors and pods and steering sticks. Outside the structure was nothing but black skies and glittering stars. _A spaceship. _Miwa realized. She looked down and noticed a few Utroms at the steering and three other Utroms floating in a pod._

"_Your blessing, Honored Navigators?" the Utrom at the steering stick asked, turning to the three Utroms in the pod. _

"_Your course is straight and true." One said, his eyes glowing as they talked._

"_Through the vastness of space and time." The second added, his eyes glowing the same way._

"_Captain, you have the blessings of…" the third said._

"_The Navigators." The three floating Utroms said simultaneously._

_Miwa glanced at the captain and noticed how familiar he looked. "Mortu? The captain of the starship? Wow." She watched as Captain Mortu turned back to the control panel, typing away with small robotic arms attached to his floating chair. She pulled out her sketchbook and pens, somehow in the dream-like state with her, and sketched away, scribbling down rough details as fast as she could. Suddenly, the swirling grays and golds returned, and Miwa soon found herself in another room, most likely still on the spaceship. When she looked around, she founds more pods, but they seemed more like…..prison cells._

"_These security precautions are pitiful! You will never hold me!"_

_Miwa jumped and spun around, staring at an extra-large pod. Inside, another Utrom was held by a strange helmet and four thick cables that held him in place. This Utrom had dark red skin, almost like blood, and a purple scar over his left eye. Of all the Utroms Miwa had seen in the past few hours, this one was the scariest. She jumped again when Mortu suddenly floated through her chest, and she had to remind herself that this was all just in her head._

"_We have finally recaptured you after a hundred year search." Mortu glared. "We're not about to lose the most ruthless criminal the universe has ever known."_

_The Utrom in the pod chuckled darkly. "I _will _escape. And you will all perish. That is my promise!"_

"_Yeesh." Miwa huffed. "His tongue is as sharp as his teeth."_

"_Big talk, little slime ball." Mortu growled before floating away._

_Miwa glanced back at the trapped Utrom. "Hm. Starship filled with nice Utroms and a super evil Utrom with a vow to kill them all. This can't be good." The swirling colors returned, and Miwa found herself back on the control center to the starship. Except now, when she looked out the large windshield, she saw the Earth. Everything seemed normal, until…._

"_Captain!" an Utrom called, panicked. "The prisoner has escaped!"_

_Mortu pressed a button. "Security! Report!"_

"The prisoner is attacking!" _someone said through the speaker. _"We're—AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" _Miwa winced in sympathy, but suddenly looked up as lights started flashing and the ship started growing dark._

"_Emergency." One of the Navigators said. "Power…cut…engines are offline."_

"_Our minds are going dark." The second said._

"_Cell by cell….." the third groaned._

"_We are undone." The second finished. _

_Miwa glanced at Mortu, obviously not ready to give up. "Halm, you have control of the bridge! Security detail with me! To the engine room!" He and two other Utroms floated off as fast as they could. Miwa barely had time to finish her sketch before the swirls returned, and she found herself in what she assumed was the engine room. Mortu and the guards floated in, looking all around. "Careful." Mortu warned. "The prisoner is _very _crafty!" They turned at a laugh, and Miwa followed their gaze to the prisoner, still wearing the helmet he was chained to and holding two sparking cables in his tentacles._

"_You see?" He laughed. "I always keep my promises! Goodbye, Captain." He pushed the two cables together, forcing electricity to fly everywhere. The ship suddenly jerked and Miwa felt the vertigo that only meant one thing: they were falling. A loud explosion rang out, and Miwa was thrown to the floor._

"_It's only in my head." Miwa reminded herself. "It's only in my head!" She noticed Mortu float off, and she struggled a little as she followed him back to the navigation center. Utroms shouted in terror as the ship continued to plummet right out of the starry skies._

_Mortu grunted as he clutched one of the control panels. "Halm! Set course for that uncharted planet!" One of the Utroms took a hold of another panel and pressed some buttons, altering their course just enough to aim straight for Earth. "We are Utroms." Mortu said assuredly. "We are one. We shall not fail. We shall not fail!"_

_Miwa reached for something to steady herself, but her hands passed through everything, further reminding her that she was only imagining it; it was almost like a dream. The ship entered the atmosphere, smoking and burning as Mortu grabbed the steering stick and forcefully pulled it towards him. Alarms beeped repeatedly and the ship shook violently as it skipped across the water like a stone, crashing into the mainland with a mighty explosion. Miwa was thrown to the ground, and when she stood the ship was almost a total wreck. But she calmed down when she noticed all the Utroms safe and unharmed (from what she could tell). They all looked terrified and shaken from the event, but alive._

"_Wow." Miwa breathed. "I know you can't hear me right now, but nice driving skills Mortu."_

_The Utroms slowly floated from the ship's wreckage and made a small fire, gathering around it and each other for comfort. About a dozen of them carefully rolled the pod that contained the Navigators down to the grass. Miwa stood amongst them, sketching the scene in her book but wishing she could do more._

"_My friends and honored Navigators." Mortu announced. "We are all safe. But the ship is ruined." He opened up a hologram, showing a chart and symbols Miwa couldn't recognize. "We are stranded on this primitive planet. Millions of light-years from our home world."_

_Miwa looked up at the star-filled sky, her heart constricting. "Poor guys. It's not like they _wanted _to be trapped here." The Navigators spoke next. _

"_There is not enough to salvage…"_

"_To repair the ship. We cannot…"_

"…_..return to our home world?"_

_Mortu sighed. "No."_

"_Captain!" an Utrom called, floating up to the lead Utrom. "There's a structure beyond the next rise!"_

_Miwa glanced at the captain as Mortu looked towards the hills ahead. "Come. We must investigate." Mortu ordered, leading the train of Utroms in the direction the yellow Utrom pointed. Miwa walked alongside Mortu, wishing she could talk to him. But she didn't want to forget any of this; so she continued to sketch in her book, hoping it would all transfer when she got out of there. Somehow, the night moved on to morning, and the Utroms reached the ridge overlooking the valley, revealing a tall mountain and a grand palace, fashioned in a way Miwa could recognize in an instant._

"_Feudal Japan." Miwa breathed. "Wow. This _so _beats going to the museums back home!" She gazed at the beautiful countryside, sketching away in her book, before she was whisked away and found herself at the Utrom's campfire, during the night once again._

"_In brief, Captain," the yellow Utrom from before reported. "We conclude that the technology on this planet is too primitive to build a flying vehicle. Let alone an interstellar ship or even a hyperspace transmat device. The technology simply does not exist."_

"_Not yet." Mortu corrected. "But we can wait."_

"_Wait?" Miwa repeated. "But even the simplest form of technology won't be invented for hundreds of years." She stared at Mortu. "Are you saying you guys have been on this planet for over a thousand years? How long _is_ your lifespan?"_

_If Miwa could have received an answer, she never got it; the swirling colors transported her to a roadway in Japan, where some Utroms (including Mortu) hid beneath bushes and watched the humans pass them. The new visions came quickly, lasting less than a few minutes each. First, to show a couple Utroms revealing the first ever exosuit, comprised of wreckage salvaged from the suit. Miwa had to laugh at one Utrom wobbling a little in the suit, obviously still trying to get the hang of the new piece of machinery. But he soon got the hang of it, able to move and conceal himself so that no human stared at the strange man._

_The joy was short-lived, however, when the Utrom's exosuit's foot hit a small rope, and Miwa jumped when a large tree trunk whooshed right through her and slammed into the exosuit. The piece of machine and the Utrom inside slammed into the ground, lying there motionless. Miwa hurried over to him, but could do nothing as a familiar slime ball approached the yellow Utrom, still in his restraining helmet._

"_You!" the Utrom gasped._

"_What a wonderful toy." The Utrom prisoner mused. "I want to play!"_

"_Sadistic little creep." Miwa growled. "If this weren't a memory I'd slice you into sushi!" The prisoner Utrom only knocked the yellow Utrom from the exosuit and climbed in, activating the suit and standing with ease. The yellow Utrom tried to scurry away, but the prisoner Utrom scooped him up and threw him aside and into the bushes. It took every ounce of willpower Miwa possessed to not try and shred the prisoner Utrom to pieces as he walked away, chuckling evilly. The colors returned and transported Miwa to a time farther into the future, much farther. A time when more exosuits had been made and used to transport some of the wreckage of the ship. Miwa felt a nagging feeling in her stomach, and she turned just as a group of ninjas leaped from the bamboo and the trees, throwing small bombs that sent some of the Utroms flying and flames erupting around the ship. Miwa punched towards one, but her fist went right through him._

"_Oh for love of—" Miwa groaned. She jumped when a large figure landed before the Utroms…..a figure in spiked armor and an all-too-familiar helmet. "Shredder?"_

"_Ninjas!" the Shredder figure shouted. "Attack! Destroy them all!"_

"_What do you know? Cruelness runs in the family." Miwa growled as the ninjas attacked the Utroms. The Utroms tried to fend for themselves, but they were easily knocked aside._

"_What is the meaning of this?" Mortu demanded as the Shredder figure approached him. "We mean you no harm!" The Shredder figure only glared harshly and struck Mortu again and again, kicking him to the ground. "We come in peace!"_

"_But you will go in pieces!" the Shredder figure declared, raising a foot to smash it down on Mortu's small body. Mortu managed to roll the exosuit aside and stand._

"_Utroms!" Mortu shouted. "Retreat!"_

"_No!" the Shredder figure shouted. "Kill them all!"_

_Miwa tore her eyes away and glared at the sky. "Mortu! Mortu, get me out of here!"_

_A swirl of grays and golds._

Miwa woke up.


	15. TMNT: Search for Splinter

**A/N: This chapter will show both parts of "Search for Splinter". I used the episode title because that's when this all takes place and I couldn't think of another title.**

* * *

**Chapter Fifteen- "Search for Splinter"**

Miwa blinked open her eyes and took a deep breath. The helmet removed itself from her head and the pod opened up. She slowly stepped up as Mortu approached her, smiling softly.

"A thousand years?" Miwa breathed. "You guys have been stuck here for a thousand years?"

Mortu nodded. "Yes."

"Man, you guys live for a long time." Miwa sighed.

"Indeed." Mortu chuckled. "But now you understand our dilemma; and why we consider ourselves friends to the Turtles, Splinter, and you."

Miwa looked down, but then bowed to Mortu. "I understand. And I want to help. If Shredder ever comes back, consider myself a Guardian to the Utroms."

Mortu smiled and bowed back to Miwa. "Thank you, Miwa. You are very kind." They both stood up straight and tall, Miwa beaming with pride.

"It is my honor to protect such a clan, Captain Mortu." Miwa nodded.

"Mortu."

Miwa and Mortu turned as an Utrom on a flying disk floated in. "I'm happy to announce that Master Splinter is now in stasis."

"Really?" Miwa asked happily.

"He has made a full recovery." The Utrom nodded. "We're still keeping him in the pod for observations. But he has fully healed from his injuries."

Miwa sighed in relief. "Good. Thank you."

"Continue to monitor him." Mortu ordered. "Just in case." The Utrom nodded and flew off. Mortu pulled his shirt back over his stomach, forcing Miwa to look up at his human face when he talked. "Now that you know our past, care to tell me yours?"

Miwa smiled and nodded as they walked from the chamber. "Well, I really _am_ from another dimension. A dimension with its own ninja turtles and Master Splinter. There are also aliens like you, exosuits and all. But these aliens, the Kraang, are slimy brain squids that want to take over the world. They have this machine that can open a portal to their home dimension. During a fight with the Kraang, I fell through the portal and it closed after me. The machine was broken, and I had to jump through a few dimensions before coming here. Now I'm trying to find a way home."

Mortu nodded in understanding. "I see. How strange. We've been working on a machine called a transmat to get the Utroms home, but I'm afraid it only travels to other planets, not other dimensions."

Miwa shrugged. "Don't worry about it. I'll find a way home. Somehow."

Mortu's phone suddenly rang and he answered it hurriedly. "Mortu. Yes….what? Are you sure? Fine, I'll be right there." He hung up and sighed. "I'm sorry; they're having some issues with the transmat and need my help."

"Okay." Miwa nodded. "I think I'll just head back to the healing chambers."

"Very good." Mortu nodded. "No snooping, though."

Miwa bowed. "But of course." She and Mortu parted ways, Miwa pulling out her sketchbook as she did. She flipped through the pages, happy to see the pictures she drew in the Oracle Pod somehow transferred to the real paper. She tidied up the rough sketches with her sharpie and erased the extra lines, figuring she would color it in when she got to the healing pods. She couldn't wait to show Splinter, and tell him everything that had happened. Miwa's smile disappeared, however, when she found a picture of the Shredder from the memory pod, no doubt an ancestor to the original Shredder. Her thoughts also travelled to the evil Utrom, the one that escaped.

Miwa shuddered a little at the thought of the scarred Utrom. "I'd hate to run into him. For a tiny slime ball, he's pretty freaky."

* * *

Donnie's eyes remained glued to the screen as he maneuvered his tiny turtle bot through the building, moving the camera around to find anything useful. Leo, Raph, Mikey, and April hung over him a little, anxious as to what they would find. After all, the Guardian they followed came to this building; and if their hunch was right, then Splinter and Miwa were in that building. For days, maybe even a few weeks, the four turtles and April remained worried as ever, wondering where Splinter and Miwa could be. A few times, they wondered if the pair were…..but they pushed these thoughts aside, especially when they remembered that Miwa promised to never leave Splinter's side, so they naturally assumed Miwa would protect Splinter with her life.

But there was one terrifying thought: what if, even on the slimmest of chances, Miwa failed?

"Now, let's see what's behind Door Number One." Donnie moved the camera on his spy drone, but something suddenly hit the tiny machine and sent it spiraling out of control.

"Whoa." Mikey groaned. "I'm getting' carsick."

Donnie fought for control for a moment before the drone righted itself. When it did, it's camera caught a sign on the wall, and Donnie stared. "Uh, guys? Here's a new wrinkle."

Everyone stared at the sign for a moment. "I don't get it." Raph shrugged.

"'Techno-Cosmic Research Institute'?" Donnie said.

"So?" Leo asked.

"Yeah?" Raph added.

"Huh?" Mikey raised an eye ridge.

Donnie rolled his eyes. "Say the first letter in each word."

"What?" Mikey asked. "TCRI? Sorry, it's not ringin' any—" Mikey's eyes widened. "….bells…"

"TCRI." Raph repeated. "That's the…the….."

"The…" Even Mikey couldn't finish. "The….."

"The what?" April asked worriedly. "Tell me!"

Leo stared at the sign on the monitor. "'TCRI' was printed on the canister of ooze that mutated us into what we are."

"The secret to our origin," Donnie breathed as they all stared out the window at the building across the street. "could very well lie within the walls of that building!" He took up the control stick again and moved his drone down the hall. "Okay, let's snoop around." He continued to move his drone forward, but felt about four different airways on his neck. "Uh, you guys are sucking the oxygen right out of my personal space here." Leo, Raph, Mikey, and April apologized and moved back, only to return to their original spots. Donnie finally managed to move the drone and the camera found a door with a sign that said 'Security'. "Jackpot! The security control room. The brains to their security system."

"Can you look under that door to see what we're up against?" Leo asked.

"I think so." Donnie nodded, controlling his drone to do so. However, all he saw was a pair of feet headed right for the door. "Uh oh." The door suddenly swung open and the camera went out of control again. It righted itself for a split second before something crushed it, and the monitor only gave them static.

"Well now what?" April groaned.

"Master Splinter might be in there; Miwa might be in there; answers we've been looking for our whole lives might be in there." Leo said. "So that means _we're _going in there."

Mikey looked down. "And what if Miwa and Splinter _are _in there? What if…what if they're—?"

"Don't think like that!" Raph snapped. "Sure, Splinter was hurt pretty bad but Miwa was with him! And she's the strongest girl I've ever met! She would _never _let _anything _happen to Master Splinter! When we find them, they're going to be all right. I know it."

* * *

Miwa bit her tongue in concentration as she colored in her sketches. She looked up now and then to check on Splinter, but he still wouldn't open his eyes. She knew he was healed and should wake up any minute, but with every passing second his eyes remained closed, Miwa became more and more worried.

"How is he?"

Miwa turned as one of the Guardians approached her, the one with the teal/blue hair that for some reason Miwa believed natural. "Fine, I guess. He just won't wake up."

"It takes time for the body to regain its strength." The Guardian assured. "Especially after he has been healing for so long."

Miwa continued to color in her sketch. "I suppose." She mumbled. The two remained silent for a long time. "Why did you become a Guardian?"

"The Utroms needed me." The Guardian replied. "Simple as that. I hear you want to be one."

"At least until the Utroms can get home." Miwa nodded. "I can't always be a Guardian; I have to return home as well."

"It is still a very noble cause." The Guardian nodded. "You are very kind to protect people you just met."

Miwa smiled. "It's a gut instinct; I know I can trust Mortu."

"Your instincts are good." The Guardian complimented.

"Miwa!"

Miwa and the Guardian turned as Mortu hurried inside. "We have intruders in the building."

"Intruders?" the Guardian asked.

"Foot Ninja?" Miwa guessed.

"Perhaps." Mortu nodded. "Miwa, you must return to your room."

"But I can help." Miwa protested. "I'll help fight."

"It'd be safer if you didn't." Mortu insisted. "Just get to your room and we'll bring Splinter to you when he awakens."

Miwa sighed through her nose. "Fine. But if I notice anything going wrong, I'll bust out of my room and beat up any enemy that crosses me."

Mortu smiled. "To your room."

Miwa smirked and walked from the room. She headed down the hallway, flipping through her sketchbook for a while before stowing it away in her backpack. _Who would be stupid enough to break into this place anyway?_

* * *

Donnie and Mikey slipped inside the elevator, thankful no one saw them. Mikey inspected the keypad with the supposed floor numbers. "Hmm…..ten floors, fifty buttons. Let's see where…_you _take us." He pressed a button, and the elevator began to move. But when the doors opened, the hallway looked exactly the same as the one they just left. The two turtles exchanged looks.

"Try another floor?" Donnie suggested.

"Good idea." Mikey agreed, a hint of sarcasm in his voice. He pressed another button, but the results were exactly as before. "Didn't we just do this?"

"They're all the same." Donnie realized as Mikey hit another button. "Just like the rooms." Three identical floors later, they still had no luck.

"Aw man." Mikey groaned. "I wish Miwa were here; she'd have a better plan than this."

"Yeah." Donnie nodded. "I've been thinking about that. Miwa has certain traits similar to each of ours: a humorous side like you, a bit of a temper like Raph, smarts like me, and the natural-born leader attitude like Leo."

"So?" Mikey asked.

"So, with Miwa's temper and smarts, she could escape anything." Donnie said. "What kind of geniuses are these people that they could hold her?"

* * *

Miwa hummed a little as she wandered through the halls. She took her time going back to her room; she really wanted to see who would break into the lab. She continued through the hall, her thoughts wandering and preventing her from seeing an object on the floor.

"Whoa!" Miwa yelped as her feet gave out underneath her. "Ouch!" She pushed herself to a sitting up position and rubbed her back. "What the heck?" She looked down and noticed a piece of dark wood at her feet. She picked it up and looked it over. "Who in the heck leaves a walking stick in the middle of the hallway?" She examined the staff, noting the notches in the wood from age….or blade strikes. _This is Splinter's staff…..but I accidently left it at the Shredder's building. So if it's here…_ Miwa's eyes widened in realization. "Uh oh." She scrambled to her feet and ran down the way she just came. "Mortu! Mortu!" She continued to call for the captain of the Utroms until she almost ran into him in the hall.

"Miwa!" Mortu snapped. "I thought I told you—"

"They aren't intruders!" Miwa said hurriedly. "It's the Turtles! My brothers!"

"We know." Mortu assured. "But how did you find out?"

Miwa held up the staff. "This is Splinter's walking staff; I can recognize it anywhere. I bet you anything they tracked Splinter here and now they're scouring the building for him."

Mortu's eyes widened. "We have to get to the healing pods. Who knows what they might do?" He and Miwa hurried down the hall.

"What are you talking about?" Miwa asked worriedly.

"If the healing pod is damaged, they could potentially kill him!" Mortu said.

Miwa's eyes widened. "Then let's hurry! Who knows how long they've been here and whether or not they've reached the healing chambers!"

Loud explosions suddenly rang out down the hall, urging the two of them to go faster. When they arrived at the healing chambers, things were broken, smashed, or sparking, and many of the Utroms looked flustered or wounded.

"What have you done?" Mortu asked, bewildered and staring at the wreckage.

"Where are the Turtles?" Miwa demanded. One of the Utroms pointed towards a corridor, and Mortu hurried towards it. Miwa rushed to Splinter's side, staring into the pod to see if he was hurt. Satisfied with seeing him unharmed, she rushed after Mortu as a bright blue light shone from the room. When she arrived, Mortu was at the controls of a strange device, desperately trying to stop it. And Miwa's brothers stood on the device, apparently stuck.

"Guys!" Miwa shouted.

The Turtles turned to Miwa. "Miwa! Help!" Mikey shouted. Miwa rushed forward, but two Utroms in exosuits held her back. She could only watch as her brothers seemed to disintegrate, and they disappeared.

"They're gone." Mortu breathed in disbelief.

Miwa stared at the spot her brothers once occupied, her mouth hanging open a little from the shock. She pulled herself from the grip of the exosuits. "Where are they?" she turned to Mortu. "What happened?"

Mortu continued to type at the controls, banging his fists on the metal. "The transmat activated upon their contact. It transported them to another planet."

"Which one?" Miwa asked desperately. "Where?"

"I don't know." Mortu sighed in defeat. "The transmat…its navigation systems weren't complete." Mortu glared determinedly. He pointed to a couple Utroms. "You get to work on the transmat. Finish it and trace the beam to wherever the Turtle landed. Once you locate them, contact me immediately."

"Yes sir!" the Utroms got to work immediately.

"You two watch Master Splinter." Mortu ordered two more Utroms. "When he awakens, take him to Miwa and I will explain everything."

"Yes sir." The Utroms in exosuits hurried off.

"Sir!" an Utrom called as he floated in. "The police are on the phone. They wish to speak with you!"

Mortu muttered a curse under his breath. "Fine. Miwa, go back to your room and wait for me and Splinter."

Miwa only nodded and left Mortu to take care of the problems at hand. She passed Splinter's pod on the way, but he looked unharmed. Still, her worry lingered all the way to her room. She waited for almost an hour, wandering around the room, pacing, sketching nervously. She couldn't sit still, not after what just happened. Not only was she worried for her brother's safety, she was angry for their carelessness. She only hoped they would get home safely…..so she could wring their necks.

Miwa turned as the door opened, revealing two of the Guardians and a soaking wet grey rat wrapped in a thick blanket. Miwa ran up and wrapped her arms around Splinter's neck, sighing in relief. "Thank heavens above you're all right."

Splinter returned the embrace. "What about you?" He pushed her out at arm's length and looked her over, brushing her bangs from her face to feel her forehead. "Are you hurt? Sick? Anything?"

"Splinter, I'm fine." Miwa assured, gently pushing Splinter's paws from her face. "I was more worried about you."

One of the Guardians handed Splinter his tattered and freshly cleaned gi robe. "Wait here please." He said simply before he and his partner turned and walked from the room, closing the door behind them.

Splinter looked to Miwa with a raised eyebrow. "Don't worry." Miwa assured. "Everything will be fine." Splinter only pinched the bridge of his muzzle and dried off before pulling his gi on. "So…..how do you feel?"

"Tired." Splinter admitted. "And a little hungry."

"Considering you were in a coma-like state for maybe weeks," Miwa smirked. "I would imagine." She took up Splinter's walking stick and handed it to him; he took it gratefully, and then pulled Miwa into another hug.

"I am very relieved to know you are safe." Splinter sighed.

Miwa buried her face into his shoulder. "I'm happy you're okay too. It's the best thing that's happened tonight."

"What happened after I blacked out?" Splinter asked as they sat on the couch.

"These guys called the Guardians came." Miwa explained. "I took them for an enemy for a moment, but when their leader explained everything, I allowed them to take us back here, and they helped us. Apparently, we were both critically injured."

"How injured?" Splinter asked.

"For you, all I knew was a few broken bones including a crushed chest plate. But I guess you had a lot more wounds than that because they rushed you off to surgery." Miwa explained. "As for me, I had some broken bones, a hyperextended elbow, and a severe concussion. I'm assuming I also had some internal bleeding because I threw up bile and coughed up a little blood."

"What?" Splinter asked, his eyes widening.

"Splinter, don't you dare freak out." Miwa said quickly.

"How exactly are we alive right now?" Splinter demanded.

Before Miwa could answer, the door opened again and Mortu stepped inside. Miwa smiled. "We're alive because of him. Splinter, this is—"

"Mortu." Splinter finished with a smile. He stood and bowed Mortu, who returned the gesture. "It is good to see you again."

"It is nice to see you again as well." Mortu agreed with a smile.

Miwa looked back and forth between the rat and the Utrom in the exosuit. "Whoa, whoa, wait a second! You two know each other?"

"Master Splinter and I have known each other for many years." Mortu admitted. "Although the last time we saw each other you were much…shorter."

Splinter chuckled. "I will admit I was worried we would never meet again after my Master Yoshi…" He looked down, his smile disappearing.

Miwa shook her head, trying to process everything. "Could someone please explain what's going on here?"

Splinter sat back on the couch and Mortu pulled up the chair from the desk. "Well, Master's Splinter's master, Hamato Yoshi, was one of our best Guardians. He was strong, brave, and very loyal; he died with honor…..at the hands of the Shredder."

Miwa glanced at Splinter, who only stared at the ground and clenched his staff so tight his claws dug into the wood. "So, you knew him because you made him a Guardian?"

"Yes." Mortu nodded. "Master Splinter was his pet rat he brought from Japan. When Yoshi was killed, I tried to find Splinter so he wouldn't be homeless; however, I never found him." He looked to Splinter. "I was very relieved to hear you were well; and with four 'sons' as well." He glanced at Miwa with a raised eyebrow. "And your daughter is very…strong of mind and strong of muscle."

Miwa smirked. "You better believe it."

"Mortu, do you know where my sons are?" Splinter asked. "I'm sure they are very worried for me and Miwa."

Miwa and Mortu exchanged worried glances. "Um….that's actually why I'm here." Mortu said. "You see, the Turtles somehow managed to track down you and Miwa and they broke in. It all went downhill from there and now they've been transported to another planet."

"Where?" Splinter asked hurriedly.

"That's just it; we don't know." Miwa explained.

"But my best Utroms are working on the transmat and we'll get them back as soon as possible." Mortu promised. "I'm about to join them now. I only wanted to make sure you were both up to speed."

"Thank you, Mortu." Splinter bowed his head in gratitude. "You have been very kind."

Mortu only nodded and stood. "I will send someone to retrieve you two when we find the Turtles. For now, please stay here. We've had enough excitement between the Turtles and the police breathing down my neck." He turned before they could ask anything else.

Miwa looked to Splinter, who held a troubled look. "Splinter, are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Splinter nodded.

Miwa gently took his paw in her hand and gave it a squeeze. "The guys will be all right. They're tough of skin and hard of headed."

"I know they will be fine." Splinter nodded. He smiled wryly. "My only concern is how much trouble they will cause."

Miwa laughed. "They do have a knack for that, huh?"


	16. TMNT: Secret Origins Part One

**Chapter Sixteen- "Secret Origins Part One"**

Miwa flipped through her sketchbook, staring at all the pictures she had drawn since April gave her the sketchbook. _Hope she didn't mind I took a second one. _Miwa thought. _With all these pictures I'm drawing, I may need it. _She glanced up at Splinter, meditating on the couch, somehow trying to calm his nerves but failing. It was clear he was worried for his sons; Miwa was concerned as well. She hated not knowing where they were or what was happening. Sure, maybe they weren't like her brothers back home, but she still cared about their well-being as much as their father did. She looked at the clock on the wall: eight hours since the Turtles disappeared. Mortu hadn't arrived; no one had. Miwa and Splinter somehow found enough easiness to sleep for about three of those eight hours, but also found that terrifying dreams of possible outcomes plagued them.

Splinter opened his eyes, staring straight ahead. "They're coming."

"Who?" Miwa asked. "The guys?"

"No, two men." Splinter reported, his rat ears twitching. "Though I am certain they come with good news."

As if on cue, two Guardians entered the room, both with soft smiles. "Master Splinter. Master Miwa. Mr. Mortu has located the Turtles. They're on their way home."

"Told you." Splinter said with a smile as he stood. He and Miwa followed the Guardians from the room and down the hall.

"So, are the guys okay?" Miwa asked.

"They should be fine." One of the Guardians assured. "The transmat is now complete and fully functional; no glitches whatsoever. However, I think it would be best if we go to the chamber before the Turtles did so they don't attack anyone again."

Miwa rolled her eyes. "Boys."

"Indeed." Splinter agreed. The four of them jumped when they heard gunfire. "Should we not hurry?"

"I think they got it covered." The second Guardian assured.

Splinter and Miwa shared a look, obviously not agreeing with the Guardians. Miwa listened carefully, her highly trained ears catching multiple shots of some sort of gun (she assumed), some shouting (some from the guys, much to her relief), and poor Mortu trying to ease the situation. By the time the door to the chamber came in sight, the threats had been calmed…..until Raph turned to an Utrom with a murderous glare.

"My sons! Stop!" Splinter ordered. Miwa could tell that the sound of his voice was enough to make the Turtles freeze in their spots and their eyes widen. The Guardians stepped aside, allowing Miwa and Splinter to step into the light.

"Master Splinter?" Leo breathed.

"Miwa?" Mikey gasped.

"They are not our enemy." Splinter assured.

"None of them are." Miwa added.

No sooner had Miwa finished her sentence did the four turtles shout "Master Splinter! Miwa!" and they suddenly surrounded the rat and konoichi in a tight group hug.

Splinter groaned, but smiled. "My sons, it is good to see you too. Please! My spine!"

"Your spine, my spleen!" Miwa groaned, but she smiled as well. "Guys, put us down!"

The four of them finally let go, stepping back a little so their lost family members could breathe. Splinter smiled, relieved that his sons finally made it back and they looked all right…even though his youngest son Michelangelo had a long tail now. "Here, I want you to meet some friends." Splinter gestured towards the two Guardians at the door, who bowed their heads in greeting. "I believe you have met the Guardians. It was they who found me after the battle with the Shredder and brought me here, to these benevolent beings who saved my life."

"After I threatened their lives because I didn't trust them at first." Miwa added with a sheepish smirk. "But they are also responsible for saving my life as well."

"This is my good friend, Mr. Mortu." Splinter introduced as the captain of the Utroms approached them. "Mortu, these are my sons."

"Um, thank you." Leo said with a somewhat awkward bow. "For saving our sensei and surrogate sister." Raph, Donnie, and Mikey followed suit. Leo looked to Splinter. "But, who are they? _What _are they?"

"They call themselves Utroms." Splinter explained. "And their story is inextricably interwoven with our own. The ooze that originally mutated us all was a byproduct of their experiments. With this transmat device."

"So the chemical makeup of the ooze is caused by the interdimensional shift of nonessential, subatomic particles." Donnie guessed.

"Yeah, whatever you say brainiac." Miwa shrugged.

"But, where were we transported?" Mikey asked, panicked. "How did we wind up by here? And what….what…..ow!" The last part came from Raph whapping his brother on the head to stop him from rambling.

"All will be explained." Mortu promised. "But first, there's some business to take care of." He turned to an Utrom. "Beam these intruders back to their original coordinates."

"Yes sir." The Utrom said, typing at the device. In seconds, the men and triceratops-like creatures were sent off, back to what Miwa assumed was their home planet.

"Mind telling me what was up with the dinosaur guys?" Miwa asked the guys.

"Later." Leo assured. "Master Splinter, Miwa, this is Dr. Honeycutt." That's when Miwa finally noticed the sleek, silver, robot standing with the Turtles, complete with glowing green eyes and a glowing mouth when he talked.

"I must apologize for my present condition." The robot, Dr. Honeycutt, said. "This mechanical body was all I had left."

"If I didn't live with mutants I'd be more surprised." Miwa admitted. "But it's a pleasure to meet you."

As Honeycutt began telling his story about how he ran into the Turtles, the guys shed what they called their "Triceraton Disguises". Though Miwa tried to not be surprised, she had to admit she jumped a little. She didn't know why; she lived with mutants after all. Still, as she listened to Dr. Honeycutt's story and slowly began to understand the details, she couldn't help but think about all the adventures the guys went on…..and the dangers they put themselves in…...doing it all on a regular basis. _I wish they weren't so reckless. _Miwa inwardly sighed.

"And that's how I came to be here." Honeycutt finished.

"I see my sons have gotten into their usual amount of trouble in the eight hours they've been gone." Splinter noted with a wry smirk.

"Eight hours?" Leo asked in surprise.

"We were gone three weeks." Raph said.

"Perhaps I can explain." Mortu offered. "The extingencies of interdimensional travel effect not only the basic laws of three-dimensional space, but the fluidity of temporal mechanics as well."

"That is so cool!" Donnie said with a wide smile.

His less than understanding brothers didn't really agree. "Yeah." Mikey said. "If it made any sense at all!"

"What the heck is goin' on here?" Raph demanded.

"My friends, let there be no more secrets between us." Mortu pushed his tie aside and pulled apart his shirt, revealing his Utrom form underneath the cloth. Miwa and Splinter didn't react like the guys did; they jumped with wide eyes at the sight.

"Freaky, huh?" Miwa smirked. "But they're nice."

"Follow me." Mortu requested. "We shall begin at the beginning." He turned and walked off, forcing the Turtles, Splinter, Miwa, and Honeycutt to follow him.

"So, you're sure we can trust him?" Leo asked Miwa. "You were around him longer."

"It took a few trials and errors." Miwa admitted, fingering her gauntlets. "But I know now that we can trust them." The rest of the walk remained silent as Mortu led them to the same chambers he took Miwa to: the Oracle Pods.

"I've seen this movie." Mikey gulped. "We're….uh…..not ognna have anything burst out of our chests, are we?"

"Relax, Mikey." Miwa assured. "This is a good thing."

"This is the Oracle Pod Chamber." Mortu explained. "Where our race assumes its highest state of communion. Where many minds enter into oneness by sharing life experience. Inside these pods, you will be able to share the story of our lives."

"You know, I can't think of one science fiction movie where a pod has been a good thing." Mikey pointed out.

"All will be explained." Mortu assured, typing at one of the control panels. "Please, enter the pods." The pods in the center of the room opened up, and the Turtles and Splinter warily stepped inside.

"You ain't comin' Miwa?" Raph asked.

"Been there, done that." Miwa waved him off. "And it was quite the experience."

"Prepare yourselves to become one," Mortu announced. "with the sacred memories of the Utroms." He pressed one final button, and the pods activated. The guys' and Splinter's eyes closed, and light-up screens showed strange signs next to each pod.

"What's this?" Miwa asked, pointing to the screens.

"Vital signs." Mortu explained. "So we can monitor them better."

"I see." Miwa nodded. "So, they're going to see everything I saw?"

"Yes." Mortu nodded.

"Cool." Miwa mused. "So what do _we_ do?"

"We wait." Mortu said.

Miwa sighed. "I was afraid you might say that." She blew her bangs from her face. "I just wish there was something more to do. These machines don't make any sense."

"But of course they do." Honeycutt assured. "Look, this one controls the blah, blah, blah…..and this monitors the blah, blah of the blah, blah, blah…and this….." Perhaps Honeycutt didn't really say "blah" a lot, but Miwa wasn't a super genius, so every time he said something she didn't understand, "blah, blah, blah" was all she heard.

"Yeah, that's great." Miwa said sarcastically. "But I think I'll just sit here and draw for a while." She sat cross-legged on the ground and pulled out her art things, sketching out Dr. Honeycutt and then the scene around her: the Turtles and Splinter in their pods, Honeycutt and Mortu at the controls, and finally Miwa herself, drawing in her book.

For the next half hour or so, Miwa just drew in her book while Mortu and Honeycutt monitored the controls. It got pretty boring. After all, it's not like Miwa understood any of the alien tech they worked with. So she drew, she meditated, she paced a little bit; anything to keep her busy. Still, she wished she could've done something more. Something bugged her; years of ninja training heightened her instincts, and her instincts told her something was out of place. She didn't know what, or why, or how, but she knew something was wrong.

"I must say," Honeycutt's voice interrupted Miwa's thoughts. "This is a most intriguing device, sir. We really must exchange cosmo-inferial equations sometime."

Miwa's head jerked up, and she looked all around the room. But whatever made the sound she just heard disappeared. She stowed her things away and slowly stood up. "Hey, Mortu? Honeycutt? Everything okay?"

"Of course." Mortu nodded. "Why?"

"I sense something." Miwa replied. "There's something in here."

"Where?" Honeycutt asked.

"Not sure." Miwa said, her eyes scanning the area. "But I don't like it."

Suddenly, Miwa heard a voice, soft only she heard it: "Sweet dreams, you cursed freaks!"

"Stockman?" Miwa breathed.

"Or should I say very unpleasant nightmares?"

There it was again; Stockman's voice, followed by his cruel laugh. Miwa spun all around, searching for the source of the voice. It couldn't be Stockman, could it? _No. _Miwa affirmed. _He exploded in a ball of fire._

"Miwa, what's wrong?" Mortu asked

Honeycutt suddenly gasped. "What's happening?"

Miwa and Mortu dashed to the controls to see them spiking and spiraling, obviously indicating something was wrong. "I….I don't understand." Mortu breathed, frantically typing away at the panel. "Something has gone horribly wrong."

Miwa dashed over to the pods, noticing the screen next to Mikey's was acting strange. "Why are Mikey's vitals tripping out?"

"Oh dear!" Honeycutt gasped. "Michelangelo's vital signs! They're going critical!"

"Mikey!" Miwa banged her fists on the pod. "Get him out of there!"

"I can't!" Mortu said, frantically typing at the control panel. "He's too unstable!"

Miwa spied something out of the corner of her eye, and she spun around to see a small, spider-like robot scurrying across the floor. "Hey!" She leaped into the air and tackled the bug bot to the ground, somersaulting and standing with the robot in her hands. "What do you think _you're _doing?"

Suddenly, Baxter Stockman's head appeared from inside the robot. "Do you mind?"

Miwa's eyes widened and she screamed, tossing the robot away from her. Stockman took the opportunity and disappeared out the door. "What _was _that?" Miwa demanded.

"No doubt the reason Michelangelo is hurt." Mortu assured. "We have to get them out of there!"

"How?" Miwa asked desperately.

Mortu didn't answer, his eyes darting around, searching for nothing in particular.

"Mortu, how do we get them out?!" Miwa shouted. "Mortu!"


	17. TMNT: Secret Origins Part Two

**Chapter Seventeen-"Secret Origins Part Two"**

"Michelangelo is going critical!" Honeycutt announced worriedly. "You must pull them out of the virtual reality system!"

"I'm trying!" Mortu assured. "The system is locked up! The controls aren't responding."

"Oh, how could this have gone so horribly wrong?" Honeycutt groaned.

"There _has _to be a way to get them out without hurting them!" Miwa urged, pressing her hand against Mikey's pod. "If that virtual reality becomes a real…..reality…..then they could be in danger! Especially if they're at the part where the Shredder's ancestor attacks."

"Ancestor?" Mortu repeated, keeping his eyes on the control panel. "What are you talking about?"

"The figure leading those ninjas." Miwa explained, joining Mortu at the controls.

"That wasn't the Shredder's ancestor." Mortu said. "It was—" The machines started beeping uncontrollably. "Oh for the love of—!"

Miwa turned to Mikey's pod, staring at it worriedly. Honeycutt and Mortu started typing at the controls, but nothing responded. Miwa bit her lower lip, feeling utterly helpless. And she hated it.

"Why don't we just shut the system down?" Honeycutt asked.

"Normally, it would be that simple." Mortu explained. "But the system's been tampered with. The slightest disruption or energy spike could destroy them! We must disconnect their minds from the memory pods carefully. But it will take time. Let us hope they can survive that long."

"They will." Miwa assured. "I know it."

"How can you be so sure?" Honeycutt asked.

"Because they're my father and brothers." Miwa said simply. She studied the pods for a moment. "Could we possibly apply some sort of cooling agent to control the energy spikes while we shut the system down?"

"It's not that simple." Mortu said. "This entire chamber is made from techno-organic materials. The wrong kind of cooling agent or too much of it could damage the organic part."

Miwa ran her fingers through her hair. "So what are we supposed to do? Wait for a miracle?"

"We don't need a miracle." Mortu assured, turning back to the controls. "We just need time."

Miwa sighed through her nose, irritated but accepting. "So what will the guys go through now that the virtual reality isn't so virtual anymore?"

"They will see history as it has already played out." Mortu explained. "But now, they will be a part of it."

"They're not going to change history, are they?" Miwa asked, albeit nervously.

"No." Mortu said. "It's all still in their heads. But if they believe they have died in their minds, it is very possible for them to die for real."

Miwa gulped a little. "Great. Just brilliant. How about for kicks we just stab my kunai into the wiring?"

"Do not lose faith, Master Miwa." Honeycutt assured. "We will get your brothers and father out of there."

"Mr. Mortu, sir!" an Utrom called as he and two of his friends floated in. "The military is right outside trying to get in!"

"Keep all of our security up until we can get out of here!" Mortu snapped. "We have to focus on our priorities one at a time. Make sure _all _Utroms are prepared for transport on the transmat when the time comes."

"Yes sir!" the Utroms nodded, floating off.

"What are the military doing here?" Miwa asked.

"When the transmat is in use, it sends a beam of blue light." Mortu explained. "It must've drawn some unwanted attention."

"Great." Miwa sighed. "I wish I had Casey's or April's number and tell them to meet us outside." Her eyes widened. "Oh my gosh, my phone!" She pulled it out hurriedly and checked the battery. "Yes, still half full!"

"Why are you so excited?" Honeycutt asked.

"I can call my brothers in my dimension!" Miwa said excitedly. Despite being a robot, Honeycutt cast a confused look. "Long story." She hurriedly punched in Mikey's number, the first one that came to mind, and pressed the phone to her ear. "Come on, come on, please pick up." But all she got was a beeping sound. She checked her phone, which showed a message that said "No Service". But when Miwa checked, she saw she had full bars. "What the heck?"

"Miwa, do you have any of those kunai knives on you?" Mortu asked. Miwa looked up to see him and Honeycutt under the control panel, working with the wiring. She scooted over to them and handed Mortu one of her knives. Minutes later, a screen popped up out of nowhere, showing three people in chairs.

"Mortu." One said.

"We are under…." The second started.

"Attack." The third finished.

_The Navigators. _Miwa realized.

"This location….."

"Is no longer…:"

"Viable."

"We are surrounded."

"We have no choice. We must….."

"Use the transmat and…."

"Return home."

Miwa felt her head spin from the three Utroms switching turns like that.

"Our preliminary defenses are holding." Mortu assured. "We must save the Turtles and their Master. They are under our care."

"Are their lives…"

"More important…"

"Than the lives of the Utroms?"

"_All _life is precious, Council." Mortu said.

"True. But remember Mortu."

"You have a great responsibility….."

"To your fellow Utroms."

"The burden is heavy…."

"But you must bear it."

"We _will _get _everyone _out of here safely." Miwa promised. "You have my word."

"It is Mortu's…."

"Burden to bear…"

"Not yours, child."

The Navigators stared at Mortu with a slightly unsettling gaze.

"I…I understand." Mortu said. The screen disappeared.

"You can't abandon my friends." Honeycutt pleaded Mortu.

"Don't worry, Professor." Mortu assured. "We will find a way to save them….and ourselves."

"We just have to think." Miwa said. "What more can we do to help? What more can _I _do?"

Mortu thought for a moment. "I don't suppose you could meditate and somehow enter their minds? To see what they see?"

Miwa thought for a moment. "I think I can. I've been practicing for years. It also helps when you're raised by a great ninjutsu master." She handed a kunai to Mortu. "Hold on to this in case you need it. I'll see what I can do about finding Splinter and the guys." She crossed her legs and set her hands on her knees, palms up, with her thumb and middle fingers pressed together. She closed her eyes and concentrated, finding the higher plane like her Shredder taught her. _Come on, "Father", time for those meditation lessons to pay off. _Soon, she felt her spirit rising, her scenery change. She focused on Splinter's spirit, searching for a way into his mind and to wherever he was. When she opened her eyes, she was no longer in the techno-organic room but in a bamboo forest. Right before her was Mikey and Splinter. Mikey lay on his back, leaning against a rock. Splinter knelt beside Mikey's still form, gently caressing the turtle's head and staring at him worriedly.

"Splinter?" Miwa asked.

Splinter looked up and his eyes widened. "Miwa? What are you doing here? How did you get here?"

"Meditation." Miwa replied simply. "Listen, I can feel my connection breaking; I don't have much time. How are you guys?"

"Michelangelo is hurt, but he is slowly regaining consciousness." Splinter replied. "The others went to inspect a fight over the hill."

"Mortu and Honeycutt are working as hard as they can to fix the pods." Miwa assured. "We've run into a little trouble outside, but I promise we'll get you out soon." She felt her connection weakening; her surroundings flickered between the bamboo forest and the Oracle Pod Chambers.

"Please be careful, Miwa." Splinter said.

"You too, Splinter." Miwa said. "I have to go. I'll get you guys out as soon as possible." She blinked, and she suddenly found herself back in the Oracle Pod Chambers. "The guys are all right. But we should hurry."

"We're working on it." Mortu assured. "And I think we're getting close."

"Great." Miwa said. "All we have to do is—" she, Mortu, and Honeycutt turned as the screen popped up, revealing the Navigators.

"Mortu, there has been….."

"A security breach and..."

"Internal security control is not responding."

"We must leave at once."

"I understand, Council." Mortu nodded. The screen disappeared. Mortu turned to another Utrom in an exosuit that Miwa hadn't noticed until now. "Deploy the security robots."

"Yes sir." The Utrom said.

Mortu's exosuit arms reached up and pulled off the human disguise, revealing only the metal exosuit's torso, arms, and head. "Instruct the transmat room to prepare for immediate evacuation."

"But you must free my friends!" Honeycutt pleaded.

"You promised their safety!" Miwa added hotly.

"Of course, Professor Honeycutt." Mortu agreed. "Miwa, I _did _give you my word. We will not abandon them. I promise."

"So how do we get them out in time?" Miwa asked.

"If only they could activate the pod's internal failsafe." Mortu said. "But that's too much to hope for."

"Internal failsafe?" Miwa repeated.

"It would free them from the inside." Mortu said.

Miwa stared at Mortu. "Are you telling me there's a way for them to free themselves from the inside and you didn't tell them or me?!"

"I didn't anticipate things to go wrong like this!" Mortu protested. "Besides, I didn't think about that when I put them in the pods!"

"I could've told them about the failsafe while I was meditating!" Miwa snapped. "How do you activate it?"

"A code encrypted on a reset device they have to get in the virtual reality." Mortu said. "From one of the Utroms there."

Miwa sat down by the pods and started meditating again. "I'll let them know. Keep working just in case!" She closed her eyes and focused. She imagined herself in the bamboo forest, right by Splinter's side. She waited and waited, feeling her surroundings change again. Only now, she felt a sense of foreboding.

"Miwa?"

Miwa opened her eyes to see herself in a circle with Splinter, the guys, and Mortu, only this time the Utrom captain's exosuit was dressed in traditional Japanese wear. Two men in ninja gear and wearing Guardian medallions stood off to the side. "Hey guys. What's up?"

"We were just explaining our situation to 'Feudal Era' Mr. Mortu." Leo said.

"And I was trying to warn them that—" Mortu was interrupted, however, by crashing bamboo and a wicked laugh. The group stood up, staring warily at the bamboo. Foot Ninja suddenly dropped from the trees, and the Shredder's ancestor stepped forward and into the moonlight.

"How fortuitous that I should find you here, Mortu." Shredder said. "And now, I can display the true powers of the Sword of Tengu. For your amusement….and your demise!"

"Wow, crazy like our Shredder." Miwa sighed. Suddenly, the Sword of Tengu began to glow and spark with electricity. Shredder slammed the blade into the ground, sending the electric tendrils across the grass and right into Mortu's exosuit, sending volts throughout the Utrom's body. Mortu leaped from the exosuit, and everyone jumped away as the exosuit exploded. The two men wearing the Guardian medallions jumped to protect Mortu, but Shredder only laughed and blasted them away with the sword and into the bamboo. Splinter, Donnie, and Leo charged for Shredder, who only slammed his blade into the ground and sent electric tendrils that threw the three of them back several feet. A second blast sent Splinter flying farther, this time knocking Miwa to the ground.

"Are you okay?" Miwa asked.

"I am fine." Splinter groaned, struggling to push himself up.

"Come on, get up." Miwa tried to take Splinter's arm, but her hands went right through him. She saw her form flicker; then, her surroundings flickered back and forth between the forest and the chambers. "Stupid connection!"

"Miwa, get out of here." Splinter urged. "We can take care of this."

"But I—"

"Miwa, it's only an illusion. We will meet you outside, in the _real _world, within minutes. I promise."

Miwa bit her lower lip. She finally got her connection back and normal, but she could see the urgency in Splinter's eyes. "There's a failsafe. Ask Mortu about it." She said quickly.

"I will." Splinter nodded. "Now go." Miwa sat back and closed her eyes. She allowed herself to leave the realm and within seconds arrived back in the chambers.

"Are they all right?" Honeycutt asked worriedly.

"They'll be out soon." Miwa said as she stood. "They know about the failsafe."

"Good." Mortu nodded. "Then they should be able to free themselves."

"Are the Utroms ready to go?" Miwa asked.

"Yes." Mortu nodded. "Once the Turtles and Master Splinter are safe, we will leave, along with ensuring your safe passage out of here."

"Thank you, Mortu." Miwa bowed. "You have done much for us in such little time."

"It is a pleasure to assist Hamato Yoshi's family." Mortu assured. "He was our greatest Guardian."

Miwa opened her mouth to speak, but she spun around when the pods made a strange noise. The pods opened, revealing now awakened Splinter and Turtles.

"They've done it!" Mortu said happily. "They activated the internal failsafe! But how?"

"Well, _you _helped us." Leo said. He and his family wearily jumped down from their pods, sighing from relief and exhaustion. "Not, _you _you…..but…..you…it's kind of a long story."

"Well, I don't care how you got out." Honeycutt said as he and Miwa helped Splinter down. "What matters is you're safe and sound."

"And if you ever scare me like that again I'll turn you into turtle soup." Miwa said, punching Leo's shoulder.

"Still, I…..can't understand how the Oracle Pods malfunctioned." Mortu said, scratching his cheek in thought with his tentacle. At the same time, his exosuit hand did the same.

"I did see that little bug guy with the human head." Miwa said. "But I don't think that's the main reason the pods went all crazy-like."

"Oh, but _I _do."

Everyone spun around and stared at the doorway, where some figures stood obviously ready to fight and/or kill them all. There was Hun, the Foot Elite, a Foot Tech or two, a couple normal Foot Ninjas, and…

"Shredder…" Miwa breathed.

"No…..it….it can't be…" Leo said. "I finished you off myself! You….._can't _be alive."

Shredder laughed. "You merely separated my head from my body. A courtesy I will gladly extend to you all! For none of you are leaving here alive!"

Miwa noticed the Foot Elites and Ninjas inching closer to them, weapons held up and ready to fight. She unsheathed her gauntlet claws and took a strong stance, right between Shredder and his ninjas and her friends and family behind her. "Get ready, guys. Looks like we're in trouble. Again."

"Why am I not surprised?" Mikey groaned.


	18. TMNT: Secret Origins Part Three

**Chapter Eighteen- "Secret Origins Part Three"**

The Turtles, Splinter, and even Mortu followed Miwa's lead and prepared themselves for the oncoming onslaught. But none of the Turtles could hide their looks of bewilderment.

"When you say you 'finished him off yourself', what did you mean?" Miwa asked Leo.

"I mean 'decapitated-him-with-his-own-sword', finished him off." Leo said, holding his katanas ready.

"You sure about that?" Miwa demanded. "Because he doesn't look dead to me!"

"Attack!" Shredder ordered. "Destroy them all!"

"Oh dear." Honeycutt whimpered a little. "And I thought _I _was stuck with an unpleasant robot body." That's when everyone noticed the bug bot Miwa mentioned earlier…..with Baxter Stockman's head on the top! Before anyone could move, Stockman shot two beams of red electricity right at Honeycutt, blasting him backwards and into the memory pods. The robot slumped to the ground.

"My sons, attack!" Splinter ordered. "Miwa, stay back and protect Mortu and the fugitoid!"

"What?" Miwa demanded. But Splinter had already run off to join the Turtles as they lunged for Shredder. "You have _got _to be kidding me." But she moved over to Mortu, still holding her gauntlets ready. "Is there another way out of this chamber?"

"Only one door." Mortu reported.

"Great." Miwa groaned. She tensed up as the Elite Ninjas charged for her, and she held her claws up to fight them. But three figures jumped between her and the Elites, knocking the evil ninjas back with their swords. Miwa blinked in surprise as the three Guardians battled with the Foot, devotedly protecting Mortu. Miwa noticed the fourth ninja try and sneak up on them, but she jumped up and spun, her foot connecting with the Elite's head and knocking him down. The Elite charged again, stabbing his spear down towards Miwa's head. She caught the spear in her hands and moved it so it stabbed the ground. But the Elite kicked her sharply in the stomach, sending her flying back and slamming into the memory pods. She grabbed the spear as it came towards her again, pushing back to prevent it from stabbing her in the face. She glanced over as Mortu landed a hard spinning kick that sent the incoming Foot Ninja flying back. _Whoa. Mortu's got some skills. _Miwa pushed the Elite's spear aside and swiped one of his feet out from underneath him, causing him to wobble from the lack of balance. Miwa jumped up and kicked the Elite multiple times in the chest, forcing him backwards and slamming into one of the other Foot Ninjas.

"Mortu, I have anticipated this moment for nearly ten centuries!"

Miwa turned sharply to see Shredder had finally made his way to Mortu, looking ready to kill the Utrom captain. Mortu, however, remained unafraid. In fact, he held his exosuit fists up to fight back. "I'm surprised that with your _genius _it took you a thousand years to find us!"

They leaped into the air, Shredder stabbing his claws towards Mortu. The captain grabbed Shredder's arm and flipped over his head, landing safely on the ground. Shredder executed a perfect spinning back kick, only for Mortu to duck down and sweep at Shredder's legs.

Miwa suddenly realized something. "A thousand years?"

"Those guys have been enemies for that long," Leo grunted as he kicked a Foot Ninja away. "Then that means…"

Splinter knocked a ninja back with his staff. "This is the same Shredder from a thousand years ago."

_That's not possible. _Miwa thought as she blocked a Foot Ninja's katana. _He'd have to be….. _She spun around with wide eyes when she saw Hun with his muscular arms around Mortu's exosuit, trapping the Utrom captain.

Shredder held his claws up. "Finally." He raised them to strike down the Utrom captain.

"Hey!" Miwa shouted, skillfully blocking the Shredder's attack with her own gauntlets. "Pick on someone your own size!" She jumped and kicked the Shredder sharply in the chest, sending him back a few feet. He hardly had time to attack again before blasts of blue light suddenly rained down on him and Hun, all of them coming from the three Utroms floating in on their flying disks. Hun was forced to cover his head with his arms, releasing Mortu and allowing Miwa to pull him away. The Utroms on the disks continued to fire at Shredder, who blocked the attacks before jumping up and grabbing two of the Utroms. He threw them to the ground, blocked more blasts, and split kicked two more Utroms that flew towards him. Miwa crouched down to scoop up one of the rolling Utroms, setting him in his flying disk so he could escape. She stayed close to Mortu's side, blocking a Foot Ninja's attack and planting her fist in his face. She looked around and noticed Raph and Mikey blasted into a wall by Stockman while Donnie, Leo, and Splinter continued to fight the ninjas. Honeycutt was nowhere in sight, most likely hiding.

"You okay, Mortu?" Miwa asked. But when she turned around, the Utrom Captain was gone. "Mortu?" She looked around and noticed Shredder and Mortu fighting once more. But Shredder landed a hard kick to his opponent, hard enough for Mortu to fall from his exosuit and onto the floor.

"Stockman!" Shredder ordered, glaring at the small cyborg as he continued attacking Raph and Mikey. "Hold! You have more important business!"

"Never!" Stockman growled. "My revenge comes first!" He kept firing blasts towards Raph and Mikey, forcing them to jump away.

"I said hold!" Shredder ordered. Stockman suddenly screamed in pain, sparks of red electricity coursing through his body. Shredder approached the bug. "Implement Phase Three. Now!"

"Yes….Master….." Stockman said in a pained voice, scurrying away. "The device will soon be under your control."

Miwa helped Mortu back on his tentacles. "The device!" Mortu gasped in realization. Donnie gently lifted Mortu and placed him back in his exosuit. Mortu sat up, staring fearfully after Stockman. "The transmat!"

"That can't be good." Miwa glared after Stockman. She, Mortu, Donnie and the Guardians rushed for the door.

"We must stop that cyborg before—" Mortu was interrupted by Hun and two of the Elite Ninjas blocking the doorway. Shredder's cruel laugh made them turn and face him as he advanced.

"You will go nowhere!" Shredder declared. Suddenly, Leo's foot collided with Shredder, launching him into a strange pod on the wall and instantly oozed some strange substance. Mortu rushed to a control panel and typed some things. Seconds later, the pod reformed itself around Shredder, trapping him inside. His muffled shouts rang out, and Hun and the Foot Ninja ran towards him to help. Many of the ninjas continued their onslaught on the Turtles and Splinter.

"We will return to assist you as soon as the transmat is secured!" Mortu promised as he, Honeycutt, the Utroms, and the Guardians fled from the room.

"Miwa, go help them!" Splinter ordered.

"What about you guys?" Miwa asked, kicking a ninja away.

"We'll be fine!" Splinter assured. "Just go! You made a promise to protect them!"

"You guys be careful!" Miwa called as she darted from the room. Her fast pace allowed her to catch up with Mortu in no time. "Mortu! I'm here to help!"

"Good!" Mortu nodded. "We may need it."

"Just answer me this." Miwa requested. "Why does the Shredder want the transmat?"

"No doubt to return to the Utrom home world." Mortu said. "And take it over."

"Well that certainly—" Miwa paused. "Wait, 'return'? What do you mean 'return'?"

"Did you truly believe Shredder was human?" one of the Utroms asked as they floated through the halls. "How would our rivalries last a thousand years? No human can live that long."

Miwa didn't stop running with the others to the transmat, but she couldn't stop cocking her head. "What are you saying? That Shredder's really an Utrom?" She laughed, but she noticed how serious the others looked. "Are you serious? The Shredder is an Utrom?"

"Not just any Utrom." Mortu said. "The evil Utrom Ch'rell. The one who escaped from us and caused us to crash on Earth in the first place."

Miwa's jaw almost dropped. "Are you telling me we've been fighting a slimy pink alien all this time? No offense."

"None taken." Another Utrom assured. "And yes. You and your family have been fighting an Utrom in an advanced exosuit."

"But that would explain why Leo didn't kill him back at his headquarters!" Miwa said. "If we're gonna kill him, we have to aim for his stomach rather than his head or heart!" She groaned. "If we have known that earlier, we wouldn't even be in this situation right now!"

"Well don't blame us!" Mortu snapped.

"I'm not!"

"Then why are you saying those things?"

"I'm thinking out loud!"

They finally arrived at the transmat, all of them thankful that Shredder was nowhere in sight. The Guardians stood protectively in front of the Utroms, swords held ready, as the aliens stood close to the transmat device. Miwa joined the Guardians, her claws unsheathed.

"Guardians," Mortu ordered. "Be ready for anything." The Guardians and Miwa tensed, waiting for something to happen. Suddenly, two small, red spheres hit the ground, sparking uncontrollably. Miwa instantly recognized the intent and shouted, "Get down!" forcing her and the Guardians to dive as the balls exploded. Miwa turned and looked up as Shredder emerged from the smoke, advancing towards them. The Utroms in the flying disks fired their lasers, but they bounced harmlessly off his armor.

"Stay back!" Mortu ordered. "I will not let you destroy the transmat!" He charged for Shredder, but he just raised his gauntlet and landed a hard blow to Mortu, sending him flying backwards and onto the transmat device. Miwa jumped up and hurried to Mortu's side, staring fearfully at the transmat as it began to glow. She remembered the last time the guys stepped on it; they were instantly transported away. But the transmat didn't do anything else, allowing Miwa to focus on Shredder as he approached.

"I do not intend to destroy it, Mortu." Shredder assured. "I will use it to send you to your doom. Perhaps I'll place you in the extreme heat of a supernova. Or the cold, endless vacuum of space."

Miwa jumped when Honeycutt suddenly flew up onto the transmat with her and Mortu, having just been electrocuted by Stockman.

"And you're just the beginning." Shredder continued. "After I have disposed of you, I will use this device to conquer the home world of the Utroms. And I'll destroy every last one of your kind, Mortu!"

"Not if we got anything to say about it!"

Miwa looked past Shredder to smile at the Turtles and Splinter, standing in the doorway and ready to fight once more. "I see you guys came to join the party."

"Remember us?" Raph smirked, twirling his sais.

Shredder growled. "I grow tired of you creatures and your constant interference. Elite Ninja: attack!" The Elites charged for the Turtles, meeting them head-on in battle. "Stockman, fire up the transmat." Shredder ordered Stockman. "Finish Mortu and his friends."

"Yes, Master." Stockman said, almost monotone.

"I don't think so!" Miwa gave a furious shout as she drove her foot down, nearly crushing Stockman under her shoe. She turned and kicked Hun in the head as he advanced towards her, forcing him to stumble backwards. She turned with a punch at Shredder, who grabbed her wrist and then her other one and lifted her in the air. "Let me go!"

"I don't think so." Shredder said, staring at her with a contemplating gaze in those glowing red orbs. "I have some questions for you and I intend to get answers."

"Bite me, Ch'rell." Miwa growled.

Shredder's eyes widened, then narrowed into a hard glare. "So, Mortu told you the truth."

"Yes." Miwa nodded. "Which means I am even happier to do this!" She lifted her knees to her chest and shot her feet out like a shotgun, nailing Shredder right in the face. Shredder shouted in anger and dropped Miwa, allowing her to dive aside and somersault to Stockman, crouching down and raising her claws to stab them into the cyborg.

"Stockman, step away from the controls." Shredder's voice suddenly said. Stockman obeyed. Miwa glanced over confusedly at Shredder, who glared at Honeycutt.

"Stockman, don't listen to him!" Shredder snapped. "You obey only me!"

"Don't listen to him." Honeycutt spoke, but Shredder's voice came from his mouth. "Override all voice command protocols!"

_Yikes. _Miwa thought, eyebrows raised. _That's scary good. _Stockman's body started sparking and whirring. When it stopped, Stockman shook his head and smiled. "I'm….I'm free! I obey no one now!" he suddenly jumped up and latched himself to Shredder's chest. Immediately, Shredder's armor sparked with red electricity, causing him to shout and scream. Stockman only smiled maliciously. "Who's in charge now, Master?" He mocked.

"No…no!" Shredder shouted as the sparks became bigger and shot everywhere. "NO!"

Everyone jumped and ducked to the ground to avoid the sparks as Shredder screamed. Finally, the sparking stopped, and Shredder fell backwards and to the ground, completely motionless and smoking.

"I'm free!" Stockman cheered. "Free of him at last!"

"And I'm free to do this!" Miwa shouted, running up to Stockman as he scurried away. "Fore!" She swung her foot forward and sharply kicked Stockman's robot body, sending him flying through the air in a wide arc. He screamed in terror and yelped in pain as he bounced out the door and down the hallway.

"Nice kick, Miwa." Raph complimented.

"Thanks." Miwa said proudly. "I always did have a strong kick." She turned as a couple Foot Elites rushed past her. She and the others turned as Hun and the Foot Ninjas approached Shredder, still motionless on the ground.

"Do you think the Shredder is…?" Leo wondered.

"Dead?" Miwa finished. "I highly doubt it."

Hun lifted Shredder into his arms and glared at his enemies. "We'll be back, freaks." He and the ninjas turned and ran off. Something dropped from Shredder's hand and hit the floor. It looked like a dragon's foot wrapped around a ruby, but when the claws attached to the ground red tendrils of light spread out all over the room like an intricate spider web. A timer lit up on the screen, and started counting down from ten minutes. Donnie and Mikey approached the device, but Mortu hurriedly stopped them.

"Do not touch it!" he ordered. "It's an Utrom implosion device. The techno-organic virus it contains will destroy you." Everyone stared as the red tendrils continued to spread, covering the room with the red, crack-shaped lights. "Already it has thoroughly infected the system." Mortu realized. "The entire building will implode in less than ten minutes!"

Everyone gasped, wide eyed, at the news. They stared at the small device, still counting down, amazed that such power could come from something so small.

"Can't you stop it?" Donnie asked.

"No." Mortu said regrettably. "Unfortunately the virus was comprehensive; it spread too quickly."

"So Shredder found a way to stick it to us." Raph growled. "Even in defeat."

"We shouldn't waste any time." Miwa urged. "We need to find a way to get all the Utroms out of here _and _get everyone outside a safe distance away!"

"Outside?" Leo repeated.

"As in the military that have been trying to bust down the door all night!" Miwa snapped. "A group of soldiers are already inside!"

A screen suddenly appeared in front of Mortu, revealing the Council.

"The human troops…"

"Are making their way…"

"Deeper into the building."

"Told ya." Miwa said.

"We have to get them out before the place implodes!" Leo urged.

"The lower floors are completely sealed off." Mortu reported. "There's no way to contact them."

"There must be _someone _on the outside we can contact!" Leo said. Raph's and Mikey's eyes lit up, and they shared a look.

Miwa noticed. "What are you guys thinking?"

"Casey and April are still outside!" Raph said. "They came with us when we were looking for Master Splinter!"

"I'll call them." Leo said, pulling out his shell cell.

"Mortu, can you contact all the Utroms and tell them to get down here?" Miwa urged.

"Of course." Mortu nodded, pressing some buttons on the transmat's controls. "Attention all Utroms and Guardians. Report to the transmat device for immediate transportation home!"

"What about us?" Mikey asked. "How are we gonna get out?"

"We can transport you out of the building using the transmat." Mortu assured. "Donatello, come here and I'll show you."

Miwa felt a paw on her shoulder and turned to see Splinter beside her. "You are doing well, Miwa. You are very brave."

"Thanks." Miwa said with a smile. "I guess it's better than freaking out, huh?"

Splinter chuckled. "Yes. But we must remain careful. It is very possible the building could collapse."

"That may not be the least of our worries." Miwa warned.

"What do you mean?" Splinter asked.

"I don't know." Miwa replied, staring at the door. "Just…a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach."

Utroms and Guardians suddenly darted inside the room and breakneck speed, hurrying to the transmat.

"Mr. Mortu!" an Utrom announced. "The transmat is powered up!"

"Primary team, assemble on the platform!" Mortu ordered.

"We're going home." One of the Utroms sighed as he and one of his companions climbed down from their exosuits.

"I hate walking on my tentacles." A second Utrom complained.

"Oh shut up, Kraang!" the first one snapped.

Miwa covered her mouth to suppress her giggles. A Guardian joined the two Utroms on the transmat as the device began to glow again. In a bright flash of blue light, the two Utroms and Guardian were gone, back to the Utrom home world. The rest of the Utroms did the same, each group overlooked by a single Guardian. Finally, the Navigators rolled in, each of their human exosuits riding an elegant chair.

"Mortu, we are the last."

"The others have been evacuated."

"Secondary team with accompany the Council." Mortu ordered.

Miwa, Splinter, and the Turtles watched, with some shock, as the Navigators emerged from the chairs in spheres of water, like floating fish bowls, and were taken by a Guardian.

"It is good…."

"To be going…."

"Home."

Mortu turned to Honeycutt. "Professor Honeycutt, would you care to join us? We would gladly offer you asylum on our home world."

"Really? Me?" Honeycutt asked. "To live among an advanced, peaceful civilization where I can use my knowledge and skills for good? I-it's a dream come true." He turned to the Turtles. "But my friends….I will miss you. I….I can't thank you enough." If robots could cry, Miwa was sure Honeycutt would be right now.

"Take care of yourself, Professor." Donnie said. Honeycutt seemed to smile as he turned and walked up to join the Navigators.

"Mr. Mortu." Leo piped up. "Thank you. For everything."

"It was a pleasure to know you." Miwa added. "Even if our meeting was not as good as it could have been."

Mikey sniffled. "Man, I hate long goodbyes." He suddenly hugged Raph, crying albeit dramatically into the turtle's shoulder. Raph looked less than pleased. Miwa only rolled her eyes and laughed.

"It has been an honor to know you and your race, Mortu-san." Splinter said, bowing to the Utrom captain.

"It is _we _who are honored, Master Splinter." Mortu assured, bowing to the rat master. "Before we leave, a small token of our appreciation." He held out his exosuit hand, and a small beam of light appeared. When it was gone, a beautiful blue orb with a sort of golden crown rest in his hand. He held it out to Splinter, who took the orb and stared into it. Though no one else could see, Splinter's surroundings changed and shifted until he stood in a familiar apartment. When he looked up, he found his Master Yoshi, practicing his katas just as he used to so many years ago. When Yoshi turned and noticed Splinter, he paused in his kata and bowed to the rat. Splinter, feeling his heart ache but smiling nonetheless, returned the bow. Yoshi stood up straight and smiled and Splinter, just as he used to.

"Your Master Yoshi was the most loyal Guardian that ever served the Utrom." Mortu said. "He gave his life to protect us. But his spirit lives in our collective history."

Splinter's vision changed, and Yoshi disappeared. Splinter stared at the gift with a soft smile, tears welling up in his eyes. But he wiped them away and stowed the orb safely in his sleeve pockets.

"And for you, Miwa." Mortu said, approaching the konoichi. "So you may remember us from something other than your drawings." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a gold medallion, just like the ones the Guardians wore. Miwa bowed her head as Mortu draped the medallion over her neck. "Let it always be known when you where this that you _are _a Guardian to the Utroms. Your bravery and willingness to protect us is just what we look for. You would make Master Hamato Yoshi very proud."

Miwa smiled, fingering the medallion with the Utrom design on the front. She bowed to Mortu. "Thank you, Mortu. I will wear it proudly."

"And now, my friends, you must leave this building while you still can." Mortu urged, kneeling down so he could climb from his exosuit. "Donatello, if you would do me the honor of powering up the transmat?"

"Sweet!" Donnie cheered, jogging to the controls as Mortu climbed up to the transmat. "I'm all over it!"

"Nerd." Miwa shook her head with a smile. Suddenly, two shuriken plunged into the controls, sending sparks everywhere and forcing Donnie to jump back. Everyone spun around to the doors…..where Shredder, Hun, and the Foot Elites stood.

"As long as I live," Shredder promised. "You will not leave this place alive!"

"I can take care of that." Miwa growled, unsheathing her claws. She ran for Shredder, shouting in fury and jumping up to stab her claws down onto Shredder. _Gotta get to his stomach. _She reminded herself. But Shredder hit her before she could lay a blow, and she went flying backwards and hit the ground right at Splinter's feet. He hurriedly helped her to her feet as Shredder leaped into the air and came right down towards them and the Turtles. He kicked Leo aside and swept Splinter's and Raph's feet, sending them to the ground. Donnie and Mikey lunged for him, but he easily knocked them aside.

Shredder stomped towards Mortu and the Navigators, still on the transmat. "Our thousand year struggle ends now!"

One of the Guardians drew his sword, but he hardly moved before Miwa jumped up and landed between the Utroms and Shredder. "Back off!" she snarled, holding her claws ready.

Shredder paused, staring at the medallion around her neck. "So, they made you a Guardian to these abominations."

"Yeah." Miwa affirmed. "Let me show you why." She stabbed her claws forward, only for Shredder to block the attack. She swiped her claws again, forcing him to step back. He lunged with his own claws, but Leo suddenly came flying in with a sharp kick. Donnie followed with a hard blow from his staff. Shredder swiped his claws but missed, allowing Raph and Mikey to each land a blow that finally sent Shredder wobbling across the transmat. He shook it off and turned to the Utroms, moving to strike again. But then Splinter landed between them; hardly a second later, his foot met Shredder's face in a perfect side kick, sending Shredder flying off the transmat.

One of the Guardians moved towards Shredder, but Donnie stopped him. "No, protect your masters! We'll handle the Shredder!"

"Let _me _finish the Turtles." Hun half-offered, half-demanded.

"No!" Shredder snapped harshly. "They are _mine_. You and the others track down Stockman. He is still of some use to me." Hun and the Elite Ninjas ran off to do their master's bidding. Shredder turned to his enemies, only to see Donnie furiously working the transmat's controls. "No." he growled, but it was too late.

"We shall meet again." A Guardian promised before the transmat powered up, beginning the transport of the Utroms home.

"After ten centuries," Shredder growled. "I will not be denied my revenge!" He ran towards the transmat, but by the time he reached it, the Guardians, the Navigators, Mortu, and Honeycutt were gone; back to the Utrom home world and safe from the threats. Shredder stared with wide eyes, shocked by the opportunity he just lost to destroy his most hated enemies. Then, his sights fell upon the Turtles, Miwa, and Splinter…the ones responsible for his loss. "You….you have been little more than thorns in my side. But now, you have robbed me of my triumph! And for that, you shall pay with your lives!"

He raised his claws and brought them down, but they stuck fast into the wood of Splinter's walking stick. "Shredder," Splinter warned. "There is no time. The building is about to implode. Even _you _could not survive."

Shredder punched through the wood of the staff, breaking it in two and freeing his claws. "Then we shall all perish together!"

Donnie slammed his staff against Shredder's skull, but his bo snapped in two. Shredder kicked him sharply in the chest, forcing him backwards and to the floor. Splinter lunged, but Shredder landed a hard blow that sent him crashing into the transmat. Mikey swung his nunchakus at Shredder, but he easily dodged. Raph threw his sais, but Shredder caught them and kicked Raph and Mikey aside. Leo jumped up and sliced his swords across Shredder's armor, forcing him to drop Raph's sais.

"Thanks bro." Raph smirked, yanking his sais free from the floor. He lunged, slicing his sais across the Shredder's armor. This time, the armor sparked and Shredder screamed, revealing the effects of all the damage sustained from the night's battles. Leo and Miwa jumped up and mimicked Raph's attack with their respective blades, with similar results.

"Guys, use your weapons to penetrate his armor!" Donnie called, kicking open a panel to reveal the wiring underneath. "I think we can stop him for good!"

Leo tossed one of his katanas to Splinter, and the onslaught began. Leo and Splinter stabbed their katanas into Shredder's stomach and his chest, over his heart; Raph stuck his sais into his arm and side; Mikey's nunchakus stuck fast into Shredder's shoulders; Miwa sliced her gauntlets through the metal again and again, leaving gashes. All the while, Shredder's armor sparked and his angry/pained shouts rang out through the room. Finally, Miwa drew a kunai knife in each hand and jumped towards Shredder, landing on his chest and stabbing the small black knives into Shredder's glowing red eyes. He screamed and stumbled back, allowing Miwa to backflip off his chest.

"Now, Donnie!" Miwa called.

"You pathetic creatures….cannot hurt me!" Shredder snarled.

"Don't be so sure!" Donnie called, pressing the two wires in his hands together. The electricity, attracted by the metal and sparks in Shredder's armor, shot towards Shredder and volts coursed through his body. He shouted in pain until the electricity disappeared, and he fell to the ground, motionless and smoking. Everyone gathered around, staring at the Shredder's still form. Miwa wondered if Shredder was actually going to stay down this time. Her answer came when something whirred and air hissed from Shredder's armor. Jets of steam shot from the Shredder's stomach, and the section of armor pulled away to reveal a dark cavity. A pair of blue eyes with red irises appeared, and from the shadows came….

"The Shredder's an Utrom?!" Donnie gasped.

Miwa nearly face palmed. She had completely forgotten about that little detail Mortu told her about. Still, she found herself staring at the scarred Utrom Ch'rell. "Dear gods in heaven." She breathed.

Mikey screamed. "It's the prisoner dude! He's the one who…..who…."

"Who escaped after causing Mortu's ship to crash on Earth a millennium ago!" Ch'rell/Shredder finished.

"He ain't so tough now." Raph said. "Let's just squish him!"

"Uh, Raph?" Miwa piped up. "That doesn't—" She screamed a little when Ch'rell suddenly lunged and latched himself to Raph's face. Raph stumbled around, his shouts muffled by the Utrom over his mouth as he desperately tried to wrench it off him.

Ch'rell laughed. "What did you say? I can't seem to hear you!" Leo suddenly grabbed the alien and pulled, but Ch'rell kept a tight grip.

"Get it off!" Mikey cried desperately. "Or there's gonna be a tiny little Shredder alien busting out of Raph's chest!" Raph somehow found Mikey's face and flicked it. "Ow!"

Leo tried to pull Ch'rell off, but the Utrom snapped his sharp teeth at the turtle, forcing him to jump back. Miwa scooped up a piece of Donnie's broken bō. "Hang on, Raph! I'll get him!" But when she swung the stick, Ch'rell caught it in his mouth and yanked it from her grip, whacking her in the head with it. "Ouch!" Splinter found his staff and suddenly stuck it between Ch'rell and Raph's face, wrenching the Utrom loose from his son. The Utrom scurried off into the shadows.

"Guys, quick!" Donnie urged. "I got the transmat recalibrated!"

"Let's hope wherever we're going is a lot better than the last place we went!" Leo called as they ran for the transmat.

"What about Shredder?" Miwa demanded. "We have to finish him!"

"He'll be finished when the building implodes _without _us in it!" Mikey said hurriedly. "Come on!"

Miwa hurried towards the transmat, but something bit her foot and she shouted in pain as she hit the ground. She heard the Turtles and Splinter shout for her, something about ten seconds to get up there, and she kicked Ch'rell off her foot and resumed her run. That didn't stop the evil Utrom from chasing her all the way.

"Miwa, jump!" Splinter shouted. Miwa gave a cry of effort and jumped forward. Splinter grabbed her am and pulled her close as the transmat activated and blue light clouded everyone's vision. Miwa kept her eyes shut as she felt a strange sensation she couldn't describe. Seconds later, she felt cool night air…and the sensation of falling. Splinter still held her in his arms, but she could open her eyes and see that they were indeed falling. The six of them shouted as they fell and landed hard on a van that Miwa assumed was theirs. They groaned as they sat up, looking around to find themselves on top of a van in an alley.

"Here's an idea." Miwa offered. "Let's _never _do that again."

"Agreed." The Turtles and Splinter groaned in unison.

"Well, I got us out." Donnie noted. "But apparently I neglected to get us down."

"No kidding." Miwa huffed.

"Guys!" April called. "Master Splinter! You're alive!" The guys, Splinter, and Miwa jumped down to Casey and April, both looking very relieved to see them.

"So, what's with the getup?" Leo asked, indicating April's yellow jumpsuit. "You a…news reporter?"

April tossed her microphone aside with a scoff. "In another lifetime maybe."

Splinter and Miwa turned as sirens started blaring down the street. "I suggest we continue our reunion in a less conspicuous location." Splinter said as he climbed into the van. The others followed, buckling up into a seat while Donnie took the wheel.

"So, do you think we've truly seen the last of the Shredder this time?" Leo asked.

"The Shredder?" April repeated. "Don't tell me _he_ was in there too."

"I can't believe you guys didn't tell me your Shredder was a Kraang." Miwa snapped, crossing her arms.

"He was an _Utrom._" Donnie corrected.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Miwa waved it off. "He was still a pink, slimy, squid alien; by far, the creepiest thing I have ever seen since the Kraang in my dimension."

"Alien?" April gasped. "What?"

The Turtles exchanged smiles "Boy have we got a story to tell you!" they laughed.

Miwa rolled her eyes. "There'll be no living with them now."


	19. TMNT: Reflections

**Chapter Nineteen- "Reflections"**

Miwa allowed her senses to open up as her vision remained dark. Her green mask set sideways on her head to cover her eyes completely. She held her bamboo staff in a steady grip with both hands. She listened as Splinter instructed her and the boys in their training. The grass tickled her bare feet, but its warmth felt nice on her soles.

"Master Splinter, when you said we were coming up here for a little rest and recuperation," Donnie's voice said. "I thought maybe you meant 'rest and recuperation'."

It was true. Splinter had suggested that they return to Casey's grandma's old farmhouse to rest from everything that had happened in the past week or so. All the battles and turmoil they went through took its toll. But the boys' idea of "rest and recuperation" was different from Splinter's, who had them put through training. Today, they boys and Miwa had to be blindfolded with their bandanas and armed with bamboo staffs, forced to defend themselves from Splinter's attacks while blinded.

"Ah, Donatello." Splinter's voice explained. "There is nothing more restful for a ninja than rigorous training. It brings focus and—" Miwa's ears picked up the sound of a game buddy, no doubt in Mikey's hands. There was a _smack_, most likely from Splinter whacking the game console from Mikey's hands.

"Game dude!" Mikey's voice gasped. "Speak to me Game Dude! Ow! Ow, ow, ow-whoa-ow!"

"You asked for that one, Mikey." Miwa pointed out. She felt Splinter's walking stick rap against her shins. "Ouch!"

"Now, defend yourselves." Splinter's voice ordered.

"Uh, Sensei we got zero visibility here." Raph's voice said.

Suddenly, Miwa heard the _whoosh_ of air past her face, and she knew Splinter leaped over her head. She remained completely still, listening as the guys' shouts of effort rang out, coupled with the sharp _TAP _Splinter's walking stick against his son's staffs. She listened to the soft _whooshes _of air that let her know where Splinter was. She waited until the most opportune moment and spun around, swinging her staff above her head. She felt the bamboo make contact with Splinter's body, and she felt the vibrations of him hitting the ground right next to her. She spun and held up her staff defensively, feeling the sharp vibration of wood meeting wood. Another _whoosh _of air told her Splinter leaped away.

"Not bad, huh Sensei?" Mikey's voice boasted a little.

"Yes, not bad at all." Splinter's voice agreed. "We are finished for today." Miwa felt something wasn't right, and she soon realized why: she heard the yelps of the Turtles and spun around, sticking her staff into the ground and jumping up on top of it. She shed her mask and smirked at the Turtle pile consisting of Raph, Donnie, and Mikey. Leo managed to jump away and stood proudly before Splinter.

"Master Splinter!" Donnie whined. "You said we were finished."

"A true ninja should never believe everything he hears." Splinter said. "Well done, Leonardo and Miwa." Leo straightened his mask and bowed to Splinter; Miwa stood straight and tall on her staff and did the same.

"There goes Leo making us look bad again." Donnie groaned as Leo helped him up.

"What about Miwa?" Mikey pointed out. "She's standing perfectly balanced on her staff."

"I react on instinct." Miwa shrugged. "Not to make you look bad."

"I don't try either." Leo assured. "I just react." Miwa smirked and leaped down, grabbing her bamboo staff and throwing it towards Leo like a javelin. The blunt end suddenly connected with his head, and he yelped in pain. "Ow! What was that for?"

"You said you just react." Miwa said, brushing off her pants. "But if you did what you just did and that was a spear or an arrow, you'd be dead."

"Miwa proves an excellent point, Leonardo." Splinter said. "A warrior should be aware of their surroundings at all times to avoid a situation like that. Well done, Miwa."

Miwa bowed. "Thank you, Sensei Splinter."

"Yeah, see? Leo doesn't always get it right." Raph pointed out.

"What was that, Raphael?" Splinter asked.

"Uh…..nothing Sensei." Raph assured as everyone traveled to the picnic blanket Casey and April sat on.

"Come, let us sit and talk." Splinter said. They all took their spots, sitting in a circle on the blanket and the grass.

"It's no big deal, really." Raph said. "But I was thinking about the first time we met the Shredder, and how we almost had Leonardo here goin' over to the dark side."

"Really?" Miwa asked. "That's a little uncharacteristic."

Leo groaned. "Here we go again. You know I still feel like an idiot about that whole thing."

"I don't blame ya." Raph smirked. "The Shredder almost had you believing he was a good guy. Remember? The Shredder invited you to a little party, and like a sucker, he went…_alone_."

"Not very smart, Leonardo." Miwa made a _tsk tsk _sound. "Let me guess: you were attacked by the Foot?"

"Yes." Leo sighed. "And when I met Oroku Saki, he legitimately sounded and looked like he needed help. Besides, we never knew who the Utroms were at the time; he sounded sincere, that he really needed us to help him and his 'humble army' of ninjas to achieve his destiny: to fight for the side of good. And he wanted me to join him."

Mikey made heavy breathing sounds. "Join me, Leonardo, I am your father."

"I can't believe you bought the Shredder's old twisted story." Raph scoffed.

"Neither can I." Leo admitted.

"Do not feel bad, my son." Splinter assured. "You hoped his words were true. It is the nature of a good heart to hope."

"I'm just glad you guys opened my eyes." Leo said. "Especially you, Sensei. I should've seen through the Shredder's lies; I should've seen it coming."

"Our foresight is meant for battle, not for judgment of character." Miwa said wisely.

"Yeah, well, I'm just glad that the Shredder didn't see Master Splinter coming." Mikey said. "Remember that first time we went to face the Shredder? He kicked our shells all over the place! His Foot Ninja were one thing, but Shredder took us out one by one easily!"

"I thought for sure the Shredder was going to finish us all off." Leo nodded.

"Yeah." Raph smirked. "Too bad he forgot about one thing. A little ninety pound weapon of mass destruction we like to call 'Dear Old Dad'."

Miwa rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I can't imagine you actually call him that. But I can testify that my father in my dimension is strong." She smiled at Splinter. "And I can certainly testify that my father in this one is as well."

Splinter smiled softly, as though amused by his sons' words. "I simply defeated a foe in battle. Nothing more nothing less."

"Defeated?" Mikey repeated. "Master Splinter, you kicked his metal butt!" He turned excitedly to Miwa. "He tricked Shredder into slicing through the support structure to a water tower and then kicked the last beam to knock it over onto Shredder! He was swept away, and the water tower fell on top of him!" Mikey cheered. "Ten points for Sensei!"

Splinter didn't look too happy, though. "I thought I had avenged my Master Yoshi." He sighed. "But the Shredder was not finished."

"Finished?" Casey scoffed. "I wonder if he'll _ever _be finished."

"He _does _have a habit of coming back." Leo noted.

"Yeah." Donnie gulped. "Remember April's place?"

"I wish I could _forget _it." Mikey said.

"Me too." Miwa said. "The days preceding that were some of the most terrifying of my life. I was in a strange place, jumping around, seeing people I knew but didn't know me. It was hectic! And then, right when I've settled down, in comes Leo….flying through a window and hitting the ground like a wounded bird." She looked down. "I had never seen such wounds before, not since my dimension brothers first tangled with my dimension Shredder. And then, when you said 'the Shredder's _back_', I was surprised because you said 'back'; then I was surprised because that meant Shredder was coming after us. It was the first time I saw the Shredder of this dimension, and it honestly kind of scared me. And I don't get scared easily!"

"It scared us, too." Donnie admitted. "Especially fighting off those Foot Elites. Fighting the Shredder was bad enough. And then we end up retreating into a freezer, only for Shredder to trap us in there and then attempt to blow us up."

"We made it out." Miwa said. "We all got out alive."

"That was _not _a good day." Leo reminded her.

April sighed. "I really miss that old place." She looked to the guys and Splinter. "Do you think he's gone? For good…..the Shredder?"

"I don't know." Raph admitted. "I sure thought Leo finished him off that night at the Foot Headquarters. But it wasn't the end of him. Remember what happened the night our pals the Utroms were finally gonna beam themselves back home? The Shredder came back into the TCRI building. Madder than ever."

"Seems like he's _always_ trying to make sure we never leave _anywhere _alive." Leo noted. "Remember the bomb he put in place that caused the building to implode?"

"Bomb, shmomb." Mikey waved it off. "You guys are forgetting the freakiest part of that whole deal: the Shredder's true identity!"

"I'll admit, when that creepy Utrom climbed out of his stomach, I thought for sure I'd scream or something." Miwa shuddered. "He looked bad enough in the exosuit."

"Man, when we found out Shredder was an Utrom, I nearly soiled my shell!" Mikey gulped.

"Nasty little bug." Raph agreed.

"But then we used the transmat to get out of the building before it imploded." Miwa reminded them. "With Shredder _inside _it."

"How come every place we go, things get blown up?" Mikey asked.

"Just lucky I guess." Raph smirked.

"Lucky?" Donnie scoffed. "Yeah. But that last time wasn't so lucky for the Shredder."

"There's no way he could've survived that." April agreed. "Right?"

"I'm not so sure." Miwa said. "He's come back from worse before."

"I don't know, April." Mikey added. "The Shredder may play rough, he may play dirty, but he don't play dead."

"Yeah, but he sure leaves a path of destruction wherever he goes." Leo said. "I can't help but think of Master Yoshi. Not only was he Master Splinter's sensei, he was also a Guardian, sworn to protect valuable secrets about the Utrom. Secrets that Shredder and his forces would stop at nothing to learn."

"He didn't go down without a fight, though." Raph reminded.

"Yeah." Mikey sighed. "From what Master Splinter says, Master Yoshi was one tough dude."

"I wish we could've met him." Donnie said.

"You have to admire Master Yoshi's courage." Leo said. "He was defiant to the last."

"Yeah he really threw it in the Shredder's face." Raph nodded. He looked down. "Even though it cost him his life."

Miwa pulled the Guardian medallion Mortu gave her from under her collar, fingering the gold. "I remember Mortu telling me that Master Yoshi would've been proud of my bravery. But the single sacrifice he made will always be bigger than any risk I take for my family…..or the Utroms." She glanced at Splinter, a pained look in his eyes. "He died proudly and without fear. And he passed on great knowledge to you, Master Splinter, even if he did it inadvertently."

Splinter sighed. "When I think of my Master Yoshi, my heart aches. But I know Master Yoshi kept his honor to the end. A true warrior. And a true Guardian."

Casey suddenly shouted in frustration. "The Shredder and the Hun! And them Purple Dragons!" He picked up the lawn chair he previously sat on and smashed it against a tree in anger. "Buncha heartless goons! I…I just wanna….GAAAAHHH!"

"Permission to throw this at him?" Miwa asked Splinter, holding up a small rock.

"Not this time." Splinter answered.

"I think what Mr. Jones here is trying to say," April hinted not-so-subtlety. "Is 'We're sorry for your loss, Master Splinter'."

"Thank you." Splinter nodded in sincere gratitude. "We have all suffered at the hands of the Shredder."

Miwa looked towards the sun setting behind the trees, and it made her think of the fire that took away her mother and separated her from her father. "Yeah. It's pretty bad. Every time I fight Shredder, I'm always surprised by how much destruction he can leave."

"You guys wanna know the funny part?" Donnie piped up.

"There's a funny part?" Raph scoffed.

"Well, not 'ha ha', funny." Donnie admitted. "But kinda ironic. I was thinking that the Shredder had a bigger hand in our lives than we know. Without the Shredder, we'd all be pet turtles in a glass jar right now!"

Instant reaction: wide eyes and confused looks from Donnie's brothers, father, sister, and friends.

"Whatcha talkin' bout, Willis?" Mikey asked quickly, making yet another movie/TV reference as always.

"Well, allow me to explain." Donnie offered.

"Please do." Miwa requested as she started setting up a fire pit. The stars were already beginning to come out. "Because you're making _no sense _at all."

"As you all might recall," Donnie explained. "We got mutated by that strange ooze when we were only babies."

"I remember it as if it were yesterday." Splinter confirmed. "You were all so cute."

"Aww." Miwa gushed. "I'd give anything to see a baby picture of you guys."

"The ooze that mutated us came from the TCRI building, right?" Donnie continued. "And why did the TCRI building even exist? Because the Utroms were trying to build their transmat so they could go home! And why did the Utroms need to go home?"

"Because they were late for dinner?" Mikey offered.

"No." Donnie shook his head. "Because the evil prisoner they were transporting across the galaxy sabotaged their starship! Causing them to crash-land on Earth centuries ago. And they'd been trapped here ever since. And who was this evil prisoner who caused the Utroms so much trouble? He was in fact, drumroll please, the Shredder!" Donnie cleared his throat. "Ergo, the Shredder had a direct hand in our creation. See what I mean?"

Donnie looked pretty proud of himself. His brothers, however, not so much. "I think I speak for everyone when I say 'No'." Raph said.

"Ladies and mutants!" Mikey announced as he roasted a marshmallow. "How _not _to tell our origins story."

"No, listen." Donnie insisted. "If the Shredder hadn't made the Utroms crash in the first place, then they never would've developed the ooze. And if they never developed the ooze, we'd never have been mutated. And if we'd never been mutated, we'd be eating fish flakes in some kid's aquarium right now!"

"Well, it's a good thing I don't connect into that equation." Miwa shrugged. "My brothers and father were accidently mutated by the Kraang's mutagen. Shredder didn't even know his arch nemesis was alive at the time."

"Why's that?" Leo asked.

Miwa shrugged again. "I guess he was too busy taking care of me: his 'daughter' Kuro."

"Then you _do _have a direct line to the Shredder just like us." Donnie deduced.

Miwa sat up straight. "Excuse me?"

"Think about it: your Shredder raised you since you were a baby." Donnie pointed out.

"Yeah, because he kidnapped me and killed my mother!" Miwa said hotly, crossing her arms.

"Yes." Donnie nodded. "But I'll bet you anything he rescued you from that fire. If he hadn't taken you in, you probably would've died in the fire. Sure, your mom died, but your father Hamato Yoshi lived and was able to move to New York, where he adopted four turtles, ran into the Kraang, and the five of them became mutated! And you, Hamato Miwa, because Shredder saved you from the fire and raised you as his own, were able to stay alive and reunite with your real father fifteen years later."

Miwa's cold gaze melted into a contemplating and realizing look. "I never thought about it that way. I mean, I guess if Saki had left me to die I wouldn't even be here right now."

Everyone remained silent a moment, allowing this information to fully sink in. "Whoa." Mikey breathed. "That's really deep!"

Raph shivered. "Being that closely related to the Shredder makes me feel kinda…dirty."

"Think about how I felt when I realized he lied to me my whole life." Miwa sighed.

"The Shredder may be a part of our origin, but it is _we _who choose our fate." Splinter assured.

"And, even if the Shredder's still out there," Leo affirmed. "No matter what he throws at us, no matter how he messes with our lives, nothing he does will change the most important thing: that we're family." Everyone smiled, clearly agreeing with Leo's statement. Miwa, however, brought her knees to her chest and rest her chin on her knees, thinking back to what her Leo said before she disappeared.

* * *

_"You were raised by the Shredder!" Leo shouted. "You're no different than he is! You never left him behind; you're just waiting for him to beg you to come back. And I bet you'll accept in a heartbeat! Don't talk like us like you're a part of us! You will __never __be a part of us!"_

* * *

Mikey suddenly started laughing. "Leo, that was off the charts on the Sap-o-Meter. You've been watching _way _too many after-school specials, bro."

"Just eat your s'mores and keep quiet, Mikey." Raph threatened lightly. "Leo's got a point." Mikey suddenly threw his marshmallow, and it stuck to Raph's face where his nose should be. Raph growled, but Mikey only laughed, rolling back on his shell. "You are so dead, Laughin' Boy!" Raph pushed himself to his feet and tackled Mikey to the ground.

"Watch the graham crackers!" Leo snapped. Too late; Raph crushed most of them under his foot. Leo suddenly jumped on top of the two wrestling brothers. Donnie jumped after them, and the four turtles rolled across the ground as they wrestled and fought. Then Casey stood up with a smirk and a "Pile on!" before running over and leaping into the fray.

"Well, it's definitely a family." April noted. "But, do you think we'll ever be able to teach the 'kids' some manners?"

"Miss O'Neil, teaching them the ancient art of ninjutsu is hard enough." Splinter sighed. "I am afraid even _I _cannot work miracles."

Miwa smirked a little. _This is only further proving that these guys are just like the guys back home._

Splinter glanced over at Miwa, the fire light dancing in her eyes. "Miwa, is something wrong? I would think you would be in there trying to break them up."

"Not this time." Miwa said.

"You okay?" April asked.

"Just tired." Miwa lay back on the grass, as though to prove her point, and stared up at the starry night sky. She didn't say another word; she just stared at the sky and allowed her thoughts to wander.

* * *

**A/N: I know Wikipedia might say this is not the right order, but trust me it makes more sense to have this before the "Ultimate Ninja" episode.**


	20. TMNT: The Ultimate Ninja

**A/N: Keep in mind that I have to listen to the episodes for dialogue so don't bombshell me with corrections because I heard something wrong.**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty- "The Ultimate Ninja"**

Leo swished the toothpaste/saliva mix in his mouth for a moment before spitting it out in the sink. He lifted a glass of water to wash out the extra toothpaste foam, only to make a face at the piece of hosiery in the glass. "Nice." He groaned, tossing the leg wear aside. He looked up and around, noticing just how much clothing (most of it April's) hung around their bathroom. He only sighed and walked from the room, yawning and stretching. He had to remind himself that April was staying with them since her shop (and therefore her apartment) kind of blew up. So they had to make the best of it. Besides, Miwa had started living with them too, although Leo couldn't help but notice how much more depressed she had become. It was becoming more and more evident that she missed her home.

Leo looked up and noticed Master Splinter. "Master Splinter? May I speak with you?"

"Certainly, my son." Splinter nodded.

"You know, it's great having April live with us," Leo started, trying to word his thoughts carefully. "After all, she's been through a lot. She lost her place because of us. But, it's just that—"

"Hey!" April's voice interrupted him. "I found that hairbrush I promised you!" Leo turned as April approached with a pink, soft-bristle hair brush in her hand. "How did the shampoo and conditioner work out?"

_Shampoo and conditioner? _Leo cocked his head. _But we don't have hair. _He glanced at Splinter as April handed him the hairbrush. _Oh brother._

"Very well." Splinter nodded. "My hair has never felt so full and subtle. Truly, I am in your debt, Miss O'Neil."

April only smiled, her cheeks turning a little pink from the compliment. "Oh, you're more than welcome." She turned and walked off, leaving Leo almost speechless. _Great. Now she's gotten to Splinter too._

"What was it you wanted to speak to me about, Leonardo?" Splinter asked.

Leo only put on a smile. "Nothing Sensei. Everything's just fine." He waved it off as he walked from Splinter, rolling his eyes.

Splinter only smiled and shrugged. But he paused. "Leonardo. Have you seen Miwa anywhere?"

Leo stopped and turned, his smile gone. "I'll give you a hint: the last time Mikey tried to get to her, he fell three stories and almost smashed his skull on the floor."

"Is she really up in the rafters again?" Splinter sighed.

"She's been spending a lot of time up there." Leo shrugged. "I wouldn't be surprised if she was up there now."

Splinter stared at the floor, his thumb absent-mindedly stroking the bristles of the brush in his paw. "She has been up there much too often. I fear for her."

Leo nodded. "Yeah. The rest of us are worried too. But she won't come down. No matter what we say to her."

Splinter thought for a moment. "I will see what I can do."

"I hope you can get through to her." Leo said as Splinter walked off. "I think we'd all like it if she joined us for the movie night tonight."

Splinter nodded in agreement. "Perhaps what Miwa really needs is time with her family." He walked back into the lair, setting the hairbrush in the bathroom. He looked up and noticed Miwa on one of the beams high in the air, a good couple of stories above everyone's heads. Splinter stared at her location for a moment, noting just how high she was, far from the highest ledge in the lair. Splinter analyzed the wall for a moment before jumping up and gripping the stones with his claws. He dug his claws as deep as he could into the textured bricks and pulled himself up, steadily climbing up until he reached the wood Miwa sat on. She sat curled in a ball, hugging her knees to her chest and resting her chin on her legs, staring into space. She didn't move, even when Splinter walked up to her and sat, cross-legged, beside her.

"Good evening, Miwa." Splinter greeted.

"Konban wa, Splinter-sensei." Miwa said.

"How did you get up here?" Splinter asked.

Miwa held out one of her hands, showing the small claws attached to the straps on her palms. "Tekagi-shuko."

Splinter nodded in thought. "Why are you up here?"

"I don't want to be a bother to your family." Miwa said.

Splinter blinked in surprise. "You are not a bother, Miwa; you are my daughter and my sons' sister."

Miwa sighed and allowed her legs to dangle over the edge of the beam. "I'm not a part of this family, Splinter. Not even in _my _dimension."

"And what makes you say that?" Splinter asked.

"Because I don't fit in." Miwa replied.

"I still do not understand." Splinter said.

Miwa groaned. "You _wouldn't_ understand. Ever."

Splinter thought for a moment. "I don't suppose there's something I could say that would change your mind?"

"No." Miwa said. "But don't worry about it. I'll be fine. My main concern is that I've been here a few weeks, and I don't have a single idea about how to get home. Even if I never return to the Turtles in my dimension, I still want to be where everything makes sense. I still have to fight the Kraang; they want to take over the Earth in my dimension and I can't allow that to happen, even if I don't fight for a specific side."

Splinter put a comforting paw on Miwa's shoulder. "Miwa, I feel as though you are confused as to what constitutes as a family. It does not matter where we come from or who we are or what we look like. Look at my family: I and my sons started as mere pets to humans, and now we are here, living together as one. And now Casey and April have joined us. And so have you. It does not matter how strange of a family we may look. The fact of the matter is that we love each other; we look out for each other. _That _is what makes us a family."

Miwa smiled softly. "I suppose."

"Why do you doubt yourself?" Splinter asked. "Do you not remember Leonardo's words? 'No matter what the Shredder throws at us, no matter how he messes with our lives, nothing he does will change the most important thing'?"

"'That we're family'." Miwa finished. "Yeah, I know. But then I thought about what _my _Leo said before I left my dimension. 'You were raised by the Shredder. You're not different than he is. You will never be a part of us.' Those words cut deeper than any blade could."

Before Splinter could speak, Mikey's voice called from the floor below. "Hey Sensei! Miwa! We're starting the movie! Come on!"

Splinter smiled. "Come, my daughter. We're having a movie night, _as a family_, and we all want you to be there."

Miwa looked up, her dark brown eyes locking with Splinter's light tawny ones. She smiled. "Fine. Let's go."

"Come, I know a shortcut." Splinter said, standing and offering Miwa his paw.

Miwa took it and let him help her up. "You've been up here before?"

"A few times." Splinter nodded.

"So what's the shortcut?" Miwa asked. "It took me a few minutes to climb up here." Suddenly, Splinter scooped her up, holding her bridal style and standing on the edge of the beam. Instinctively, Miwa wrapped her arms around Splinter's neck. "Uh, Splinter?"

"Look out below!" Splinter shouted, leaping and flipping into the air. Miwa's grip tightened as the wind rushed past, forcing her hair to fly up like a black torch. She barely had time to scream before Splinter landed softly on the ground, still holding Miwa in his arms. She shook a little, her eyes wide and one of them twitching a little.

"Never, _ever, _do that again." Miwa begged.

Splinter only chuckled and gently set Miwa on her feet. "Come, before all the good seats are taken." Miwa wouldn't admit that she was a bit nervous over what they would watch, but her face clearly expressed her doubts as she sat at Splinter's feet and leaned against the couch.

"Incoming!" Casey suddenly shouted, jumping up and landing hard on the spot beside April. Miwa rolled her eyes. _Oh brother._

"Hey Bonehead." Raph graoned. "I can't believe you picked a Western."

Miwa looked up at the multiple screens that made up the Turtles' TV and noticed Raph's statement to be true. "You gotta be kidding me."

Her statement was drowned out, however, by April. "I can't believe it either! This is _Rio Ganto_. I love this movie!"

"Me too!" Casey said. "Isn't it great how that punk kid challenges the old man?"

"Just so he can make a name for himself?" April added. "And it's great where—"

"Um, guys?" Leo interrupted. "Can we just watch the movie instead? Please?"

"Sorry." Casey and April said.

"Talk about a couple nerds." Miwa sighed.

"Shh!" Mikey waved her off. "It's starting!"

Miwa groaned. Splinter smiled and gently ruffled her hair. "I'm sure once the movie starts, you'll warm up to it."

"I'll take that wager." Miwa sighed.

* * *

The Ultimate Daimyo studied the object in his hand for a moment, making sure it was absolutely perfect. When he felt satisfied, he nodded with a smile (hidden under his mask).

"Perfect." He said. "Just what she needs. Gyoji!"

Seconds later, Gyoji appeared before his master, bowing in respect. "Yes, Daimyo?"

"Fetch my son, please. I have an errand for him." Daimyo requested. Gyoji bowed again and disappeared. Meanwhile, Daimyo pulled out a piece of parchment, a bottle of ink, and a calligraphy brush and began his letter. He wrote quickly but neatly in fluid strokes, hoping she would understand. The instructions seemed simple enough; and best of all, she could use it whenever she wanted.

"Sire!" Gyoji called, appearing just as Daimyo finished the letter and sealed it. "Your son has disappeared!"

"What?" Daimyo asked, startled. "Where could he have gone?"

* * *

"_After I'm done with you, Sherriff, they'll know my name in every territory west of the Mississippi! Now…draw."_

"_Look, kid. Havin' people know your name isn't important. Fame and glory aren't worth fighting for."_

"_Enough talk old man! I said draw. On the count of three."_

Everyone sat on the edge of their seats, staring with wide eyes at the screen.

"_One….."_

Mikey munched nervously on his popcorn. Leo chewed his finger. Donnie gripped the remote tightly in his hand.

"_Two…."_

The tension was rising. It was the moment they all waited for the entire night.

"_Three!"_

_BANG! BANG!_

Everyone jumped and gasped (or in Mikey's case, screamed a little). They stared at the screen until the kid suddenly went to his knees and then fell face first into the dirt. The Sherriff only shook his head in pity and walked off, and the words "The End" flashed across the screen.

"Can I pick 'em? Or can I pick 'em?" Casey boasted.

"They sure don't make them like that anymore." Leo admitted.

"How cool was that Sherriff Bart guy?" Mikey smiled broadly.

"Yes." Splinter agreed. "It was like he was a samurai of the Old West."

"How'd you like it, Miwa?" Donnie asked. Upon receiving no reply, everyone glanced over to see the young konoichi slumped over the coffee table, using her arms for a pillow as she slept.

"She fell asleep?" Casey gaped. "When did she fall asleep? _How _could she fall asleep in the middle of such a great flick?"

"Maybe she didn't enjoy it." April shrugged.

"How can someone not enjoy _Rio Ganto_?" Casey demanded.

"Hold on, I'll wake her." Mikey offered. He carefully snuck up to Miwa, a crafty smile on his face.

"Michelangelo…" Splinter warned.

"Miwa!" Mikey suddenly shouted. "Wake up!"

Miwa's eyes suddenly flew open and she launched her fists out, both of them connecting with Mikey's jaw. With a fierce cry, she grabbed his shell, lifted him into the air, and slammed him onto the ground. Everyone winced and groaned sympathetically while Mikey just lay on the ground, moaning in pain. Miwa stood in a strong stance until she realized who she just judo flipped to the ground.

"Michelangelo!" she snapped. "How many times have I told you not to wake me like that?"

"None." Mikey wheezed.

"I shouldn't have to tell you!" Miwa snapped.

"Miwa, when did you fall asleep?" Splinter asked.

"I don't know." Miwa rubbed her sleepy eyes. "When did the kid rob the stagecoach with the lady in the poufy, flowery hat?"

"That wasn't even a third of the way into the movie!" Casey cried, gripping his skull in terror.

"The movie bored me." Miwa said simply. "It was predictable and lame."

Casey looked ready to pass out. He clutched his chest. "Heart….breaking…now…..dying….oh….." He fell backwards onto the couch, but Miwa remained unfazed.

"Aww, the popcorn's gone." Mikey whined, realizing his bowl empty.

"I can't imagine where it all went, Mikey." Raph said sarcastically.

"I was hungry." Mikey protested. "But now I'm _really _hungry."

Donnie suddenly smiled. "Maybe it's time for, oh I don't know, an ice cream run?" The boys immediately stood up and voiced their agreements, all smiling broadly.

"It is too dangerous on the surface." Splinter protested. "The increased gang violence alone makes it inadvisable to go."

"We'll be carefully, Sensei." Leo promised.

"I will accompany you to make sure you do not get into mischief." Splinter said firmly. "Besides, I crave a double deck ice cream shake."

"Sensei has a sweet tooth." Miwa rolled her eyes and turned to walk away. "Who would've known?"

"You're coming too, Miwa." Splinter said, grabbing her ponytail and pulling her after them.

"Ow!" Miwa yanked her hair free. "Why do I have to come?"

"Because we're spending quality family time." Splinter said simply. "And you're family."

"Besides, we're going for ice cream!" Mikey whooped and cheered as he ran to the Battle Shell.

Miwa sighed. "I suppose a little ice cream couldn't kill me. Unless by some ironic miracle I die from brain freeze."

Raph laughed and tousled Miwa's hair. "There's the Miwa Sarcasm we know and love. What happened to it?"

"Just needed a break, I suppose." Miwa shrugged. However, she remained silent the entire drive up to the surface and down to the ice cream shop. Even when the Turtles cracked jokes to make her laugh, she could only muster a small smile to ease their worry. When Donnie parked the van in an alley, Casey and April left to grab the ice cream while the others opened up the back of the van and got comfortable.

Splinter sat down beside Miwa, glancing worriedly at the teenager as she stared into the distance. "Is something wrong?"

Miwa blinked, somewhat startled, and turned to Splinter. "Huh? Oh, nothing."

"What is it?" Splinter asked.

"Nothing. Just…." Miwa returned her gaze to the buildings in the distance. "Something doesn't feel right."

"Eh, you're just overtired from fighting the Shredder and the whole TCRI thing." Raph waved it off. "Some ice cream into ya and you'll be fine."

Miwa glared at him briefly before returning to her staring. However, her concentration became interrupted by Mikey's shouting, and she turned to see April and Casey returned with the ice cream in hand. She sighed and accepted the bowl April gave her, bowing in thanks. _Maybe I _am _just a little riled up. _She determined, slowly eating her ice cream. _Could just be my nerves acting up on me._

"Yo Miwa!" Raph's voice snapped. "Think fast!"

Miwa looked up just as a spoonful of ice cream whacked her right in the face. She growled as melted vanilla dripped off her nose and chin, and she angrily wiped it off with the napkins April handed her. Raph, meanwhile, started busting out laughing.

"You ought to pay more attention, kid!" Raph laughed. "Lest you be attacked by ice cream!" He howled with laughter.

"Raphael, that was not very nice." Splinter scolded gently. "Even if it _was _a little funny."

Miwa narrowed her eyes at the grey rat, but then smirked. "Oh, you think that's funny Raphael?"

"Yeah it was!" Raph set his ice cream down and clutched his aching sides.

Miwa marched over and used her spoon to scoop out a large portion of Raph's ice cream. "How's _this _for funny?" She suddenly plopped the large scoop down Raphael's back and into his shell. Raph's laughing immediately stopped and were replaced by yelps and small shrieks.

"It's in my shell!" He shouted, jumping around and trying to wipe away the icy cold feeling. "It's in my shell! Get it out get it out!"

But everyone was too busy laughing at Raphael to help him. Miwa laughed so hard her stomach hurt. "Now _that _was funny!"

"_That was so NOT funny!" _Raph whined as he struggled to wipe the last of the melted ice cream off his neck and out of his shell. "I oughtta tackle ya to the ground!"

"Bring it!" Miwa challenged, holding up her fists. But when Raph tried to tackle Miwa, Splinter's walking stick whacked them both on the head.

"I think that is enough for this evening." Splinter suggested/ordered. "You got each other; now sit down and eat."

"Fine." Miwa and Raph muttered, returning to their ice cream.

"I gotta admit, that _Rio Ganto_ turned out to be a great flick." Raph said. "One thing though: how did Sherriff Bart get the kid, when the kid obviously had better skills?"

"I believe the young gun slinger fought only for fame and glory," Splinter pointed out. "While the Sherriff fought to protect his friends and loved ones. Of course, possibly Sherriff Bart won because it was a movie and needed a happy ending."

"He's got a point there." Miwa said from her spot on the van's roof. "Besides, the Sherriff probably had more experience." Something suddenly tugged at her gut, and for what seemed like no apparent reason she looked up. Whatever she was about to see disappeared, and Miwa narrowed her eyes. She set her ice cream down and pulled her legs up so she crouched on the van roof, looking all around her with a critical gaze.

"Yeah….." Raph shrugged. "Maybe."

"I don't know." Donnie said. "Statistically, the odds are against him."

"Thanks for the stats, brainiac." Mikey said sarcastically.

"But Sherriff Bart was pretty quick on the draw for an old guy." Leo noted. "I mean he was—"

"Leo!" Miwa shouted, leaping off the van. She landed right behind Leo and snatched the silver throwing knife out of the air before it could hit her or Leo. She cried out in pain and gently took the knife in her other hand, staring at the one she caught it with.

"Miwa! Leo!" Raph gasped.

"Watch your backs." Leo warned.

"Get behind me!" Casey ordered April.

"Yeah, right." April scoffed.

"Miwa, are you hurt?" Splinter asked.

"I'm fine." Miwa assured. She stared at her wounded hand, noting the cut across her palm and four of her fingers. "Just a scratch."

Splinter caught sight of the throwing blade in her uninjured hand and his eyes widened. "I have seen this marker before." In a flash, he swiped it from Miwa's hand. "They are not from around here."

"Think it's the Foot?" Raph growled. "Are they back?"

"It is not the Foot." Splinter confirmed, his grave tone making Miwa uneasy. "It is a challenge. A marker for a duel; a duel until only one is left standing."

"Young warrior."

Everyone turned and glared a little as a tall man stepped from the shadows: a tall many with dark red hair, a blue gi, a purple cape, twin katanas, and a red dragon-like mask over his face to reveal only his acid green eyes.

_The Ultimate Ninja. _Miwa realized. _The Daimyo's son._

"The one called Leonardo." The Ultimate Ninja said. "I have come to this dimension to battle Oroku Saki, Shredder. But you stole that honor from me when you defeated the Shredder in combat. And so, for fame and glory, I must destroy you in his stead. I challenge you, young warrior, to a duel."

"Hold on, Wackbag!" Raph snapped, drawing his sais. "You mess with my brother, you mess with me!"

"You mess with all of us!" Casey added.

"You got that right!" Mikey confirmed.

"Ditto." Donnie held up his staff to fight.

Miwa stepped between Leo and the Ultimate Ninja. "You fight one of us, you fight all of us."

The Ultimate Ninja glared at them before turning to Splinter. "These are not the rules."

"Yes. I know." Splinter replied, earning shocked looks a couple gasps from everyone else in the group.

"Sensei?" Miwa asked.

The Ultimate Ninja bowed in respect to Splinter and pulled out a den-den daiko. He moved it back and forth, sending out the drum's fast-paced tap that sounded like rain on a tin roof. Blue light emerged from the drum until it changed and became flat. The Ultimate Ninja released the paddle, and it started floating in the air as a figure formed and took a hold of it.

_Gyoji. _Miwa remembered the priest-like spirit from the Daimyo's castle. _But what is he doing _here_?_

"Master Splinter." Leo asked. "What is all this?"

"It is a universal challenge match." Splinter said simply.

Gyoji waved his paddle, and a sort of blue bubble appeared around them all. When Raph tried to stab the bubble with his sais, the surface only rippled like water. "What's up with this cage?" Raph demanded.

"If the warrior named Leonardo refuses the match," Gyoji explained. "Then your lives are forfeit."

"And if he accepts and loses," Ultimate Ninja added. "Then _his _life is forfeit."

"In what universe and under what jurisdiction do you have that right?" Miwa demanded. "A warrior fights for honor and justice; not to show off how strong he is."

"Stand down!" Splinter snapped, silencing the girl. He looked to Leo. "You must choose, my son."

"Sensei, there is no choice." Leo said. "I accept the challenge."

"So noted." Gyoji said. "Challenge accepted."

"I'm fighting, too." Miwa said.

"Absolutely not." Splinter's response could not have come quicker. "This is Leonardo's battle, not yours."

"He wants to fight Oroku Saki." Miwa said, jerking her thumb towards Ultimate Ninja. "But he lost the chance. Surely he would not turn down the chance to fight the Shredder's daughter."

"What?" Ultimate Ninja's eyes widened. "You are the daughter of Oroku Saki?"

"You don't remember the last time we met?" Miwa asked.

"I don't even know your name, girl." Ultimate Ninja growled.

"My name is Oroku Kuro." Miwa said. "Daughter of Oroku Saki and Tang Shen. If you don't believe me, then how do you think I got these?" She held up her gauntlets and unsheathed her claws with a loud _SHING! _

Ultimate Ninja narrowed his eyes. "Gyoji, let it be noted that I accept the challenge from Oroku Kuro. Tonight, I will fight the Shredder's daughter and his defeater."

"So noted. Duelists, prepare!" Gyoji called.

"Soon, warriors," Ultimate Ninja growled. "You shall taste defeat."

"Master Splinter." Donnie protested. "What is going on?"

But Splinter only raised his paw for silence. "I will explain later. But now is not the time."

"You don't have to fight him." Leo told Miwa. "He challenged me."

"He challenged the Shredder." Miwa said. "So I will fight in my father's place. To bring honor to the name 'Oroku'."

_Wow. _Leo thought. _She really _was _raised by the Shredder. She acts just like him._

"All right, Kuro." Leo said, careful to use the name Miwa used. "Then we fight together."

"So be it." Kuro nodded.

Splinter approached Gyoji. "I demand a full observance."

Gyoji paused for a moment before saying, "Full observance accorded."

Ultimate Ninja, however, turned around in shock. "A full observance? I…fine, old one. Observe all you want. It will not change the outcome." He pulled his cape around himself and disappeared. His voice, however, seemed to linger. _"Warriors….warriors…prepare to meet your doom."_

"Boy, he's a little overdramatic." April noted.

"I wish _I _were fightin' that nutcase." Raph growled.

"I wish I knew exactly what it is I'm supposed to do!" Leo shrugged.

"You think I'm in any better shape?" Kuro scoffed.

"You must face him in combat, my son." Splinter explained. "And you must be careful. He will be a difficult opponent. But you have the skill and most importantly, you have the heart to defeat him."

"What about me?" Kuro asked.

"You should not have gotten involved." Splinter snapped a little. "But my advice carries on to you. Watch out for one another, and you shall not fail. Work as one."

Leo and Kuro bowed to their sensei and turned to face Gyoji. The spirit waved the paddle over a puddle of water, and it started moving and swirling across the ground until it was right under Kuro's and Leo's feet. Instantly, they began sinking in the water. Raph lunged for them, but the two warriors disappeared under the water and their vision became dark. When the light returned, Kuro and Leo found themselves rising from yet another puddle and onto solid ground.

Kuro looked around. "Where are we?"

"Central Park, I think." Leo said. "I guess this is where the match starts."

"Then where's our opponent?" Kuro demanded.

Leo looked all around, observing the shadows. "Let's just start moving. Maybe we'll run into him." So they started down the path, carefully looking all around them. Leo caught sight of the cuts on Kuro's hand, still bleeding. "Is your hand okay?"

"It's fine." Kuro nodded. "I'll be sure to slice up that ninja when we see him."

Leo sighed. "Mi—er, Kuro? Is that really the name Shredder gave you?"

"For fifteen years, the Shredder was my father." Kuro said. "He taught me everything I know. I had hoped that if I accepted a fight with the Ultimate Ninja, I would spare you the consequences of fighting him, should they turn out badly." She sighed. "Guess that wasn't the case."

Leo and Kuro turned as a shadow shot past through the trees. It flashed again on the other side of the path, making the hairs on Kuro's neck stand up. Suddenly, a purple cape fluttered across the moon and landed before the two warriors. They stared at the seemingly flat and crumpled object a moment before turning to walk away. But their instincts made them pause, and they both ducked just as the Ultimate Ninja swung a fist for them. Leo struck first, throwing a few punches and a kick only for his attacks to be blocked and Ultimate Ninja's foot kick him aside. Kuro shot her gauntlet claws forward, but Ultimate Ninja drew one of his katanas and blocked her strikes. She swept for his legs, but he jumped up and kicked her sharply in the chest, sending her tumbling across the ground. But she righted herself and landed in a crouching position, watching with wide eyes as Ultimate Ninja pulled out a kusarigama. He spun the weight around and flung it towards Leo, currently slouched over against a broken lamp post.

"Leo, watch out!" Kuro called. Leo shook his head to get rid of the dizziness and looked up just in time to see the heavy weight flying right towards him. He ducked just in time, and the weight wrapped around the lamp post and pulled it clean off its stand. Leo jumped away and landed beside Kuro, both of them taking strong stances. Ultimate Ninja threw the weight again, but Leo drew his katanas and knocked it aside every time it was thrown. Finally, Leo caught the chain in his katanas and pulled Ultimate Ninja forward, planting a foot in his stomach and forcing him to fly backwards and into a tree.

"Nice kick." Kuro smirked.

"Thanks." Leo smiled, tossing the kusarigama into a trash can.

"My turn." Kuro charged forward, jumping up to land a hard kick. But Ultimate Ninja dove aside and Kuro's foot hit the tree. Ultimate Ninja took off down the path, Kuro and Leo close behind. When they reached a bridge, Ultimate Ninja leaped down and landed on a large truck passing below.

"Why is he running?" Leo demanded.

"Don't know. Don't care." Kuro said. "Come on!" They leaped off the bridge and up through the trees, jumping from branch to branch like monkeys to catch the truck. They finally pushed off a tree with tremendous leaps and landed softly on the truck, behind the Ultimate Ninja, with their blades drawn and ready for battle. Ultimate Ninja drew his own katanas and lunged, meeting Leo head-on. Their blades clashed together again and again in a loud _CLANG! _The truck kept moving, speeding down the road with the driver oblivious to the battle taking place above. Kuro darted forward and leaped over Leo's head, driving her foot down into Ultimate Ninja's chest. He stumbled back, growling at the girl. When she charged again, he sharply kicked her stomach and then her chest, sending her flying backwards and right off the truck.

"No!" Leo called, desperately reaching for her. But she fell back out of his reach.

Kuro was thankful for her quick instincts, as they helped her stab her claws into the back doors of the truck and hang on tight. "Keep fighting!" She called. "Don't give up!"

Leo nodded and turned to face the Ultimate Ninja, only to duck when he almost took the turtle's head off. Leo spun and kicked, knocking the warrior backwards to the other side of the truck. Leo jumped up with a yell and drove his katanas down, only for Ultimate Ninja to wrap his cape around him and disappear. Leo's blades stuck fast in the metal roof of the truck, and he struggled to pull them out again.

"Kuro!" Leo called. "My swords are stuck and he's disappeared!"

"I'm a little busy at the moment!" Kuro snapped, struggling to find a foothold and pull herself up. She pulled herself up just enough to see Ultimate Ninja appear behind Leo and kick his shell, sending him to the ground. "Hey! That's a dirty trick!" She yanked her gauntlets free, but slipped a little and had to clutch the van tightly to avoid falling. Meanwhile, Ultimate Ninja raised his katanas to strike down Leo, but the turtle managed to move just in time. Kuro finally pulled herself onto the van and charged for the pair. Leo managed to roll aside and Kuro blocked Ultimate Ninja's blades. She kicked him hard in the stomach and planted a perfect upper cut to his chin, forcing him to stumble backwards. Kuro swung her fist, but Ultimate Ninja caught it and suddenly lifted her into the air. He threw her off the truck, Leo jumping up to catch her but missing by mere inches. Kuro twisted around and quickly pulled on her tekagi-shuko. She stabbed the claws into the car riding right behind the truck, catching herself and pulling her body to the roof of the car. She pulled on her second tekagi-shuko and used it to get a better grip on the car, looking up and watching with wide eyes as Leo came dangerously close to the edge of the van. She watched, however, as Leo fell off, swung around by a thin rope, and kicked Ultimate Ninja right off the van. The two of them tumbled onto the streets, right in the path of the car Kuro clutched to. The car honked its horn and the two warriors were forced to the ropes of the bridge they stood on, leaping from rope to rope to reach the top of the bridge structure. Kuro jumped off the car and followed them, keeping her eyes on the two shadows high above her head. She arrived at the top just as Ultimate Ninja dived down to stab his claws into Leo, only for Leo to grab his wrist and kick him aside, still holding the three clawed gauntlet in his hand.

Leo turned as Kuro approached him. "Glad you could make it."

"I see I haven't missed much of the fun." Kuro smirked. They approached Ultimate Ninja, glaring down at him as he lay on the ground. Suddenly, he turned and threw a green powder into the air, clouding Kuro's and Leo's vision. They coughed as the foreign substances invaded their lungs, Kuro swiping at the powder to clear it away. She heard shouting and grunts of pain, but she couldn't see anything. When the green smoke finally cleared, she didn't see anything in front of her; only open skies and the city in the distance. But she heard the sounds of battle behind her and spun around to see Ultimate Ninja land a firm palm strike to Leo's chest, knocking him backwards and over the edge of the structure.

"Leo!" Kuro cried. She darted for Ultimate Ninja, ignoring the cries of what sounded like the guys and Splinter. She swung her claws towards his neck, but he jumped down onto the ropes of the bridge, running down to a green figure that Kuro instantly recognized as her blue clad brother. She sprinted after Ultimate Ninja as he drew his katanas and sliced through some of the ropes that made a sort of railing. The rope holding her brother fell many, many feet down before tightening and abruptly halting his descent. Kuro continued her run, drawing a kunai and throwing it at Ultimate Ninja. But he only deflected her tiny blade and kicked her in the stomach, sending her flying backwards and almost halfway back to the stone bridge structure. She clutched her aching stomach, pushing herself to her feet, and watched in horror as Ultimate Ninja sliced through the rope, causing Leo to fall the many stories down towards the waters below.

Ultimate Ninja laughed as he pulled his cape around and disappeared. He reappeared at the top of the structure. "He is finished! I have won! I am the ultimate warrior on this planet! With this victory, my fame and glory grows! Soon _all _will know my name! I am the Ultimate Ninja!"

"Just wait, pal." Raph growled. "And I'll give you all the fame and glory you can handle."

"Not before I do."

Ultimate Ninja spun around and noticed Kuro climb up onto the structure. "Or have you so soon forgotten about _my_ challenge?"

Ultimate Ninja narrowed his eyes and drew his katanas. "No tricks this time. Only blades." He tossed one of his katanas to Kuro, who caught it skillfully. She twirled the blade in her hand and held it up, ready to fight. The two warriors charged for each other, their blades clashing together and send out a shower of sparks. Ultimate Ninja swung his blade for Kuro's head, but she ducked and stabbed her blade upwards towards his face. He leaned back and jumped aside, stabbing his sword down towards the girl. Kuro rolled aside, holding up her blade to block his downward swing. She struggled to stand as Ultimate Ninja pressed down with his katana, the pressure keeping Kuro in a kneeling position. But she managed to sweep his legs and force him to the ground. She jumped up to stab her sword down, but he rolled away and suddenly kicked the blade from her hands, swinging his sword towards her head. Instinctively, Kuro unsheathed her gauntlet blades and blocked the attack. Ultimate Ninja jumped away and scooped up his second katana, running towards Kuro with the express intent of running her through with his blades. Kuro knocked his swords aside and lifted her foot to execute a perfect front kick, her foot hitting Ultimate Ninja right in the jaw. She didn't even give him a chance to shake off the pain; she punched him in the stomach, roundhouse kicked his shoulder, and backhanded him in the face. She jumped up and kicked him multiple times in the chest, forcing him to fall backwards on the ground. She stood above him, with one foot planted on his chest to prevent him from rising, and raised her claws to stab down into his chest.

Kuro hardly moved when something grabbed her wrist, halting her kill blow. She turned with a glare to see who would dare stop her, but her eyes widened. "Leo?"

"Well done, Kuro." Leo said. "But now it's my turn. Let me finish this."

Kuro stared into Leo's eyes for a moment before nodding and stepping back.

"What?" Ultimate Ninja gasped as he stood up. "It….it can't be!"

"It can be." Leo nodded. "And it is. Let's you and me finish this. Now."

Cheers of encouragement reached Kuro's ears, and she turned to see the blue bubble Gyoji formed earlier, with him and the others inside and watching the fight. _You can do it, Leo. _She thought. _Show this Ultimate Ninja why you're Splinter's son._

Leo held up the Ultimate Ninja's claws, now strapped to his wrist. Ultimate Ninja sheathed one of his katanas and held the other ready.

The two warriors leaped for each other.

Ultimate Ninja threw some shuriken and disappeared. Leo deflected and dodged the shuriken, which flew off and impaled the bubble that separated the others from the fight. Kuro remained off to the side, but her muscles tensed for if and when she had to run into battle again. Ultimate Ninja appeared again, but this time didn't move fast enough to avoid Leo's foot, which knocked him on his back and caused his mask to fly off. Leo flipped and landed on his feet, pulling off the gauntlet and tossing it aside. He punched and kicked, landing blow after blow that Ultimate Ninja couldn't block. He drew his katanas, but Leo kicked the blades from his hands and knocked the warrior to the ground. Leo grabbed Ultimate Ninja's katanas and jumped into the air, stabbing them down towards Ultimate Ninja. When Kuro approached him, she saw the swords made a perfect X, dangerously close to Ultimate Ninja's neck.

Leo released the katanas and glared down at his opponent. "You lose."

"No." Ultimate Ninja gasped from shock and exhaustion. "I cannot lose! I cannot!"

"Sorry, you just did." Leo said firmly. "But…..you fought well. It's okay." He bowed respectfully, smiling. Kuro mirrored him.

"I…" Ultimate Ninja seemed at a loss for words. "I do not believe it. I…I surrender."

Leo grabbed the swords and pulled them free, tossing them towards Gyoji. "Winner: Leonardo and Kuro." Gyoji announced, waving his paddle and causing the blue bubble to finally disappear. Mikey, Raph, Donnie, Casey, April, and Splinter all hurried to the two victors, cheering and congratulating them. Miwa was hugged and had her hair ruffled (much to her annoyance). She soon stepped away and allowed Leo to soak up the attention, including a hug from Splinter. She looked down, her heart aching at the thought of her own father, back in her dimension, most likely worried sick over her. It wasn't fair that they were separated after being so recently reunited. Watching this Splinter be so fatherly towards this Leo only made the hurt worse.

"Hey Miwa." Leo called, bringing his surrogate sister back from her thoughts. "Get over here; you deserve this praise as much as I do."

"Come on, you did most of the work." Miwa shrugged.

"Get over here." Leo pulled Miwa into a tight hug, quickly joined by his brothers, Casey, and April. "You're a great warrior Miwa, you really are."

Miwa smiled and returned the hug. "Thanks, Leo."

As the group pulled away, Splinter approached Miwa. "You fought very well, my daughter."

"Thank you, Master Splinter." Miwa bowed. Suddenly, Splinter's staff whacked her on the head. "Ow! Hey!"

"But if you ever scare me like that again," Splinter threatened lightly. "I'll break open your head like a piñata."

Miwa rolled her eyes and wrapped her arms around Splinter's neck in a tight hug, which he gladly returned. But the family moment was interrupted when Ultimate Ninja pulled out a fistful of green powder and blew it up into the air. The powder transformed into a large green snake, hissing and glaring at the group. Miwa pushed past Splinter and unsheathed her gauntlets, leaping into the air towards the snake's head. She slashed her gauntlets, and the snake suddenly split evenly into two and collapsed. Miwa's eyes widened as she landed, staring at what just happened.

"Nice shot, Miwa!" Mikey cheered.

"Uh, I didn't do that." Miwa admitted.

"Then who did?" Leo asked.

Their question was soon answered when the smoke cleared and revealed a giant-like figure, wielding a sword (that most likely caused the snake's demise) and wearing regal robes and a gold mask. His thick white hair cascaded around his shoulders like a lion's mane.

_The Ultimate Daimyo. _Miwa sighed, sheathing her gauntlets. _It's about time._

"Your Highness." Gyoji bowed. Ultimate Ninja, still on his knees, bowed his forehead to the stone.

"To use such dark arts in defeat." Daimyo growled at his son. "Not only would you disgrace yourself thus, but you would disgrace _me_, your own father, with your lack of honor." Daimyo sheathed his sword. "You have not earned this combat, yet you have the audacity to attempt to make a name for yourself in such a manner!"

_Yikes. _Miwa gulped a little. _He's awfully scary when he yells._

Daimyo looked to Splinter and spoke in a much gentler tone. "Splinter-san, you have trained your students well. I salute you." He bowed to Splinter respectfully, and Miwa could've sworn he smiled under that gold mask of his. Splinter returned the bow but said nothing. "You have fought well, young one." Daimyo told Leo. "And won honorably." He held up his hand and a bright, glowing green ball appeared. Seconds later, Daimyo held Leo's swords in his hand and they floated to Leo. "I return to you your katana." Daimyo and Leo bowed to each other, showing the upmost respect.

"My compliments carry to you, Hamato Miwa." Daimyo continued. "Your skills are great and you use them well. You have made your family proud and brought great honor to yourself and your name. It shall be _you _who is known throughout the land and it shall be _your _name that lives on forever."

Miwa smiled and went down on one knee, bowed respectfully to the Ultimate Daimyo. "Arigatō, Daimyo-sama."

Daimyo returned the bow. "Before I leave, I have something for you." He reached into his robes and produced a small package, wrapped in brown paper, and note tied to the package with a string. "Take this. But do not open it until you return home. I hope it helps you."

Miwa was confused by the statement, but bowed again and rose to her feet. "Thank you. You are very kind."

"Once, many generations ago, we visited this dimension." Daimyo said. "The people here took us to be goblins, tengu, but we endowed a chosen few with the first gifts of the art of ninjutsu. You have carried that tradition well. Better even than my son."

_Oooh. _Miwa winced a little. _Burn._

"Come. We go home." Daimyo ordered. Gyoji floated to his master and his paddle began glowing in that bright blue light. The three beings, Daimyo, Ninja, and Gyoji, disappeared in a pool of water that appeared and disappeared out of nowhere.

Splinter put a paw on Leo's and Miwa's shoulder, smiling. "My children, you have made us all proud. Come; let us also go home."

And so they made their steady and careful trek down the large bridge cables, down to the street so it would be safe. Miwa clutched the Daimyo's gift to her chest, careful not to drop it.

"Master Splinter, I don't mean any disrespect." Raph piped up. "But what the shell was _that _all about?"

"Be patient." Splinter said simply. "When the time is right all will be made clear."

"I say we just get home as soon as possible." Mikey said.

"Why's that?" Donnie asked.

"I wanna know what the Ultimate Ninja's dad gave Miwa!" Mikey said.

Miwa looked down at the package. "Yeah. So do I."

* * *

**Konban wa = "Good evening"**


	21. Home Sweet Home Or Is It?

**Chapter Twenty One- Home Sweet Home. Or is it?**

It took every ounce of willpower Miwa had to not put her fist into Donnie's teeth. He swore on his life he was being as careful as he could when applying the disinfectant to her cuts. Still, it didn't stop her from hissing in pain and giving off a glare that could kill. But she calmed down considerably when Donnie wrapped gauze around her hand and Band-Aids around her fingers.

"There." Donnie nodded, proud of his work. "Good as new."

"Open your present!" Mikey called excitedly. "Open your present!"

Miwa raised an eyebrow but smiled. "Fine." She turned to Splinter, sitting beside her on the couch and holding the present in his lap. He handed her the package, and Miwa fingered the string a little nervously. She pulled off the strings and lifted the letter. She opened it and silently read it to herself.

_Miss Hamato Miwa,_

_I am sorry it took so long to find this for you. I spent much of my time searching for a way to find your dimension. Instead, I stumbled upon this. I have little use for it, considering my powers. I would like you to keep this amulet as a token of my generosity. It will allow you to travel through dimensions at any time you wish and see whomever you want. Do not try and be modest about it; you have earned it through the trials you have gone through._

_Simply take the amulet in your hands and imagine the ones you want to see. For example, your true father and brothers or your home in your dimension. Imagine where you want to go and how many people are going there. A portal will open, and all you have to do is jump through it. You will instantly be transported to that dimension._

_I wish you the best of luck. This amulet is yours to keep so you may return to any dimension you visit._

_Ultimate Daimyo_

Miwa's eyes widened and she broke into smiles. "No way." She stuffed the letter in her pocket and tore open the package. She stared at the contents, her eyes glittering in anticipation. She lifted the amulet from the package and held it up to the light. The amulet was a gold circle, with a large circular ruby in -the center surrounded by smaller circular rubies. The entire pendant was attached to a gold chain.

"What's that thing?" Leo asked.

"My ticket home." Miwa said happily. "It'll let me travel through dimensions."

"So that means…?" Mikey asked.

"I'm going home!" Miwa cheered. "Ya-hoo!"

"Really?" Donnie asked. "You're going home?"

"I've met that warrior who gave me this thing." Miwa said. "He's really nice and I trust him. This amulet is how I'm getting home."

"That's great, Miwa." Raph said. "We're really gonna miss ya."

"I'll come back." Miwa promised. "This amulet is a gift. Once I find a way home, I'll come back."

"Whew." Mikey sighed. "For a second there, I thought you were leaving forever."

"Come on, guys, you know I'll be back." Miwa assured. "I need to make sure you stay in line."

"Us?" Raph scoffed.

"Yes, you." Miwa smirked. She sighed and put the amulet around her neck. "Well, here goes nothing." She held the amulet in her hands and focused on New York. _Her _New York. More specifically, she focused on the sewers of New York, where she could easily find the lair. The rubies in the amulet began glowing, and a beam of red light suddenly shot from the amulet's center. Everyone watched as the beam hit the air and created a circle of light and energy. The inside of the circle changed and suddenly showed the layout of New York City from the sky. The picture zoomed in, to the street, and then down a manhole and into the sewer systems.

"That's it!" Miwa said happily. "That's home!"

"So, you just gotta step through?" Mikey asked nervously. "And you'll be gone?"

Miwa smiled and hugged Mikey. "I'll be back, Mikey, I promise."

"You better." Raph said as Miwa hugged him next. "I need a good sparring buddy."

Donnie was next for a hug. "Stay safe, Miwa. Tell the Donatello in your dimension I said 'Hi'."

Leo hesitated a little before accepting the hug from Miwa. "We'll…uh" He cleared his throat. "We'll see you around."

"Yeah, sure." Miwa said. But when she pulled away, she felt a twinge of awkwardness between herself and Leo.

Casey and April hugged Miwa together. "Take care, kid." Casey said.

"Hold on to those sketchbooks." April said. "Draw lots of pictures."

Miwa turned to Splinter lastly, hugging him the longest. "Thank you. For everything."

Splinter smiled and gave her one last squeeze. "You are always welcome here, Miwa. You will always be one of my children."

Miwa sighed and forced herself to pull away. She made sure she had all her weapons on her and her mask was tied to her wrist. "You guys are the best. Thanks for your help."

"Before you leave, I want you to have these." Splinter pulled a small box from his sleeve and held it out for Miwa. She took the box and opened it, finding about a couple dozen shuriken and black kunai knives. "Use them well."

Miwa bowed and tucked the box in her backpack before slinging the pack over her shoulders. She turned to the portal and jumped through it, calling "Goodbye" to her new family as she disappeared and the portal closed.

Mikey sighed. "I'm really gonna miss her."

"She'll be back." Raph assured.

"Yeah." Leo nodded. "Definitely."

* * *

Miwa looked all around, raising an eyebrow at the buildings she did not recognize. "Hmm. Maybe I should've asked the amulet to transport me straight to the lair rather than the area around it. Oh well. A little walk won't kill me." She lifted a manhole cover and slipped down into the semi-darkness of the sewers. She whistled a little as she walked, moving through the sewer systems and looking all around to find familiar landmarks that led her right to the lair. However, as she moved further and further into the sewer systems, she couldn't find anything that she recognized. She had to surface a couple times, which only further confused her. None of the buildings looked familiar.

"Guys?" Miwa called, her voice echoing in the tunnels. "Where are you? Donatello? Michelangelo? Raphael? Master Splinter? Leonardo?" She sighed and jumped down from the ledge she stood on, looking all around the tunnel (including the one she just came from). She cupped her hands around her mouth. "Daddy! Guys! Where are you?" She sighed. Then, she noticed a light coming from around the corner. "The Shellraiser! Hey guys!" Miwa jumped up and waved her arms. "Guys! I'm back!" She noticed the light getting closer, but not slowing down. "Donnie, slow down! Hey!" She squinted a little as the light came closer. "Guys?"

_HONK!_

Miwa's eyes widened when the subway train came into view. She screamed and scrambled aside, desperate to move from the path of the fast-moving train. Suddenly, something collided with her and she tumbled back into the tunnel she exited from. The subway barreled past her and her rescuer. When the subway disappeared, Miwa found she breathed heavily and even trembled a little. _All the battles I've gone through,_ Miwa thought. _And I almost get crushed by a subway._

"Hey, are you okay, dudette?" her rescuer asked.

"I'm fine." Miwa assured, taking the shadowy hand he offered her. She let him help her up, but she paused when she felt only three fingers instead of five. She looked up, but couldn't see the turtle's face in the shadows. "Mikey?"

"Um…yeah…." The shadow said.

"Oh my gosh!" Miwa wrapped her arms around Mikey's neck, hugging him tightly. "I'm so glad I found you! Where are the guys?" The shadow tensed a little; Miwa could feel it. She pulled away and stared. "Mikey? What's wrong?"

"Uh…..how do you know my name?" the shadow asked.

Miwa reached into her belt and pulled out a tiny flashlight. She flicked it on and shined the light towards Mikey's face, staring in worry. The light showed Mikey's face, complete with his turtle head, orange mask, and nunchakus. Only when Miwa looked at his full appearance, she noticed a few things different. Like his elbow and knee pads were now orange like his mask and little more than thick cloths; he also wore matching orange wristbands. He also wore a thick brown leather belt and a belt buckle with an "M" on it.

"What's with the new look?" Miwa asked, looking up and down at her brother's appearance. "Since when did you wear belt buckles?"

"Hey Michelangelo! Where'd you go?"

Michelangelo turned and called down the tunnel. "Down here, guys! I found someone!"

"Is April in the sewers again?"

"Dude, she's back in the lair with Splinter."

"Oh yeah."

"Is that Donatello I hear?" Miwa asked. Mikey was about to answer when three more shadows emerged, carefully stepping into the small glow of Miwa's flashlight. "Leo? Donnie? Raph? Why are you guys wearing belt buckles?"

"Uh, do we know you?" Donatello asked.

"I've never seen her before." Leonardo shrugged.

"Me either." Raphael agreed.

Miwa stared at her four "brothers" for a moment before something finally clicked in her head. "Oh no. Oh no oh no oh no!" She grabbed the Daimyo's amulet and stared at it with a distressed look. "You were supposed to take me home! Not to another Turtle dimension!"

The Turtles exchanged strange looks. "Um, what are you talking about?" Leonardo asked.

Miwa looked up and sighed. "Would you believe me if I told you I was your sister from another dimension?"

* * *

"The Ultimate Daimyo gave me this amulet so I could return to my home and even allow me to visit my friends in other dimensions." Miwa finished. "Instead, it brought me here, to this new dimension."

Splinter rubbed his chin in thought. "Interesting. A shame you could not return to your home; but also very unusual that you should be here with your story."

"Can we trust her, Sensei?" Raphael asked from behind the brown-furred rat.

Splinter stared at the Japanese girl before him, analyzing her with a critical gaze. "I sense her words are true; and so you will welcome your sister into our home with open arms."

The boys exchanged looks for a moment before shrugging. They suddenly enveloped Miwa in a group hug, smiling. "Welcome home, Miwa!"

Miwa laughed and gently pushed them away. "Thank you for being so accepting. It was pretty rough the last time this happened."

"But how is it possible that she's here?" April asked as she approached.

"I just explained that." Miwa pointed out. "The dimensional portal the Kraang invented along with the amulet I have now. Which I should be using right now to find my way home."

"Aw, can't you stay a while?" Michelangelo pleaded. "If you're our sister, you should stay with us for a while. We might be different from your brothers back home, but we're still family."

"I don't know, guys." Miwa said uncertainly. "I really should get home; my real father and brothers are probably worried sick about me."

"Miwa, I insist you stay for a few days to rest." Splinter told her. "That wound on your hand needs time to heal."

Miwa looked down at the bandages on her hand. She sighed. "Fine. I guess a few more days would be fine."

"We've got a nice comfy couch you can sleep on." Donatello offered.

"I'll grab a blanket!" Michelangelo called, running off.

"I got the pillow!" Leonardo followed his brother.

"And I'll keep you company." Raphael told Miwa, smiling craftily. Miwa only rolled her eyes and shoved him aside.

"So I guess we're in the same boat." April said as she sat beside Miwa. "I'm kinda stuck down here for a while too. Despite my insisting that everything's fine, the guys won't let me leave until this business with the Shredder has cooled down."

"You guys got a Shredder in this dimension too?" Miwa asked.

"He was an old friend of mine." Splinter sighed. "Only now he returns in hopes of destroying me."

"Well, at least _that _sounds familiar." Miwa sighed.

"What was the Shredder like in the dimension you were just in?" April asked.

Miwa smirked. "Now _that _is an interesting story."

* * *

Miwa stared up at the ceiling, sleep evading her. It was unbelievable. Absolutely unbelievable. Just when she discovered away to get home, the amulet betrays her and takes her someplace completely different. But why? What could she gain by visiting Turtle dimensions, neither of which was her own? She wanted to go home. Instead, she ended up here.

Then again, this dimension was much closer to her home than the previous dimension. Splinter told her the entire story he told April when she first arrived, and Miwa loved how similar his story sounded to her father's. This Splinter used to be Hamato Yoshi and made contact with a rat and mutagen to mutate into the humanoid rodent. He also had brown fur and wore a kimono, just like her father back home. Except he had pure brown fur where her father had a mix of brown, black, and white; his kimono was pinkish-purple and he wore white pants underneath where her father's kimono was maroon. Shredder was a human, with his real name being Oroku Saki, and he and Splinter have been enemies for a long time; now, Shredder was back to destroy Splinter and the Turtles, who used to be pet turtles to Splinter.

But then Miwa thought about the differences. Splinter was not as fatherly to the Turtles as he was in her dimension. The guys were a little more goofy than normal. April was a news reporter now, and an adult, dressed in a yellow jumpsuit and with short, brown wavy hair. The guys had black pupils, but no colored irises. The lair looked much different; earthier and….homey…..she kind of liked it. But no matter how much she tried, she couldn't imagine calling this _exactly _like her home.

Miwa looked up as one of the lanterns turned on and cast a soft glow. She silently turned to lie on her side and closed her eyes, feigning sleep.

Splinter walked around to the front of the couch and caught sight of Miwa, confirming that he really _did _have a young konoichi on his couch. He smiled at seeing her asleep; however he had the strangest feeling that she was still awake. He gently touched her shoulder and shook it.

"Miwa." He whispered. "Are you awake?" Miwa didn't answer. She kept her eyes closed and her breathing even. Splinter sighed through his nose and patted the girl's head. "Rest well, child. You are welcome here. Always."

Miwa did not speak. But her heart constricted in her chest.

* * *

**A/N: So, instead of going home, she ends up in the 1987 Turtles dimension. Such a turn of events. :D Keep reading and I'll keep writing!**

**By the way, I am still working on my TMNT Chronicles story; I'm just trying to find "Karai's Vendetta" online or on my TV so I can properly quote the episode. Until next time!**


	22. TMNT: Enter the Shredder

**A/N: Remember, Miwa's with 1987 Turtles now. Also, I've noticed that the Turtles always refer to each other by their full names rather than their nicknames. So I'm going to try and stick with that. Stay tuned!**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty Two – "Enter the Shredder"**

The four turtles slept peacefully in their four-bed high bunk bed, exhausted from the events of the past few days. First, they save a human from some thugs; then, they defeat a small army of ninjas; after that they found out their sensei's old archenemy is alive; then they gained a new friend named April; and last of all, they discovered they had a sister, a sister from another dimension who currently slept on their couch. They needed the rest after everything that happened. They snored softly, each of them lost in their dream worlds. However, their pleasant dreams were interrupted by light hitting their eyes and they sat up to see April in the doorway.

"Raphael!" April called, urging the Turtles to rise.

Raphael rubbed his eyes and yawned, pulling his mask from its hook on his bed and tying it around his eyes. "Ease off, April. We had a rough night."

"I'm not doing a thing until we eat some serious breakfast." Michelangelo chimed in.

"And we don't eat until we practice." Leonardo reminded them.

"Then let's go!" Donatello urged, jumping from his bunk. "I'm starving!" The four boys hurried from the bedroom and out into their training area. However, Leonardo (currently leading the run) skidded to a halt, causing his brothers to bump into him as they stopped. They peered around the blue-clad turtle and noticed Miwa, in the middle of the floor, folded into a lotus position and meditating peacefully. The Turtles stared at the Japanese girl, somewhat confused.

"What do we do?" Raphael whispered to his brothers.

"We can't practice with her in the middle of the floor." Leonardo whispered back.

"Then move her." Donatello said.

"How?" Michelangelo asked.

Raphael spoke up a little louder. "Hey Miwa—"

"A. I can hear you guys; I'm not deaf." Miwa said, still in her meditating position. "B. I am currently meditating and will not be interrupted. I will finish in a few minutes."

"But we gotta practice before we eat!" Michelangelo whined. "Can't you finish later?"

"No." Miwa said. "And a ninja should value patience as it is a valuable skill."

Raphael rolled his eyes. "I say we tackle her."

"I'm in." Leonardo nodded. Michelangelo and Donatello agreed. The four of them charged for Miwa with a shout.

Splinter jumped when he heard his students shout, interrupting his meditation. He sighed. "I told Miwa not to meditate in the middle of the floor."

April rolled her eyes. "Yeah, well now she gets tackled by four turtles. Her fault, I'm afraid." The two of them jumped again when they heard four yelps of surprise and pain, each followed by a loud _THUD!_ Splinter leaped to his feet and hurried off to the training room, leaving April to sip her tea and smile. "Huh. Guess I underestimated that kid."

Splinter entered the dojo to see his four turtle students strewn about the room, and his "daughter" in her meditative position in the middle of the floor. "What happened?"

"Ask….her…" Raphael groaned, pointing to Miwa.

"One should not disrupt a meditating konoichi," Miwa said simply. "Lest they be attacked by said konoichi."

Splinter only smiled. "Very good reflexive skills, Miwa-san."

Miwa smiled and stood up, opening her eyes and bowing to Splinter. "Thank you."

"Get up, Turtles." Splinter ordered. "You still have practice. Miwa, I would like to assist with the instruction."

"Yes, Sensei Splinter." Miwa nodded.

The Turtles started practicing, Leonardo going against Michelangelo and Raphael going against Donatello. Leonardo wielded a length of bamboo instead of his swords, the wood _CLACK-ing _against Michelangelo's nunchakus. As they moved and fought, Leonardo kept blocking Michelangelo's attacks. Michelangelo's movements became quicker and sloppier.

"Michelangelo." Splinter called. "Don't lose your patience."

"Look for any openings in your opponent's defenses." Miwa added. "Find the opening and take the shot."

Michelangelo tried to focus, but Leonardo's attacks became harder and forced Michelangelo backwards. Finally, Leonardo knocked Michelangelo's nunchakus out of his hands. Michelangelo responded by running for Leonardo and tackling him to the ground. Leonardo moved quickly, planting his foot in Michelangelo's plastron and sending him flying into a wall and to the ground.

"I'd say you just got smoked, Michelangelo." Raphael smirked.

"Indeed." Splinter crossed his arms, raising an eyebrow at his orange-clad student. "Michelangelo has much to learn about patience."

"Yeah, you gotta learn how to keep cool like the rest of us." Donatello said.

"I'll work on it." Michelangelo bowed.

"Good." Miwa nodded. "At least you take critique well."

"And now we may eat." Splinter announced. "Come along."

The boys, however, rushed ahead with whoops and cheers, pulling a couple pizzas from the fridge and some cereals from the cabinets. Miwa wrinkled in nose in disgust when the boys started pouring their cereal on top of the pizzas before eating it.

April didn't look too thrilled either. "You wouldn't have any _real _food, would you?"

"Of course." Splinter nodded. He held up a plate of sashimi, rice, and seaweed. "Sushi?"

"I guess I can hold out until we get up to the street." April sighed.

Splinter shrugged. "Miwa?"

"Yes please." Miwa accepted one of the sushi bits gratefully. It tasted nothing like the stuff she had living in Japan, but it was close enough.

"How's the hand doing?" Raphael asked.

"Throbbing a little." Miwa admitted, staring at her bandaged hand. "But otherwise fine."

"Are we going somewhere?" Michelangelo asked April.

"Don't you remember that big compound that was under the ninja's headquarters?" April asked. "That big Technodrome thingamajig. We've gotta check it out! It's my only hope of getting a story out of all this craziness."

"What's a Technodrome?" Miwa asked, popping a few Cheerios into her mouth.

"If only we knew." Leonardo shrugged. "We know that Shredder's connected to it, so that's the lead we're gonna follow."

Miwa nodded, musing over the information. "Well, where do we start?"

"The land below the ninja headquarters we found." Donatello said. "Easily accessible through the sewers."

"So's long as we don't get too wet." Miwa said.

* * *

Miwa groaned as she stepped through the water of the sewers. The cold liquid seeped through her cloth shoes and made a squishing sound every time she took a step. "Okay. I see where I went wrong with my last statement."

"We're almost there." Donatello assured. They continued along the path until reached a dead end, blocked off by a large waterfall that led straight to their feet. More water dropped down from the ceiling in fat drops, splattering all over their heads.

"Funny, we don't get much rain here in the sewers." Michelangelo said.

"It's not rain." April realized. "It's water from last night's flood."

"Come on, we must be almost there!" Donatello urged. He led the way as they ran through a broken section of the wall. "It should be right…here?" He skidded to a halt, the others stopping close behind him. They looked out, but only saw empty tunnel and water dripping from the ceiling.

"You know a hot dog stand would really clean up a place like this!" Raphael joked.

"I don't get it." Donatello groaned. "It's gotta be here. See, there's the foundation of the building that flooded." He pointed up to a small waterfall coming from the ceiling. "I mean, where could vast, subterranean compound go down here?"

"Well, wherever it went, it left tracks." Miwa noted, pointing to the tank-like tire tracks in the dirt.

"That way!" Michelangelo pointed down the tunnel. The six of them, the Turtles, April, and Miwa, hurried down the tunnel, hopefully towards whatever this "Technodrome" was.

"What a story!" April smiled happily. "Come on, we gotta follow it!" She started down to follow the tracks, but Leonardo pulled her back.

"Wait, we must tell Master Splinter about this." Leonardo protested.

Miwa felt vibrations in the ground. "Whatever the Technodrome is, it's big and it's moving fast. It's not going to be easy to take down."

"But if it's big, it'll be easy to find." Donatello assured. "Come on; let's get Splinter."

"All right." Miwa shrugged. "Can we possibly take a somewhat drier way back?"

"Dudette, we're in a sewer." Michelangelo reminded her.

"How is that a good excuse for why my shoes are all squishy?" Miwa demanded.

* * *

"You saw the ninja's leader in that underground compound last night?" Splinter asked.

"Yes, Master Splinter." Leonardo nodded.

"And now the compound has vanished without a trace." Splinter sighed. "I fear my ancient enemy Oroku Saki still lives. And I must join you in the search of this Technodrome."

"That isn't a job for us." Raphael protested. "It's a job for the department of sewers."

"Oroku Saki will come after _all _of us." Miwa reminded him. "Not just Splinter but you guys as well. And I'll bet you anything once he sees my claws, he'll come after me."

"Oroku Saki is the most dangerous and cunning man I know." Splinter added. "And he is a ninja of the first rank."

"I'll check the newsroom." April offered, walking off. "Maybe there's been some word on just where the Technodrome went."

"I'd like to know how on Earth we're supposed to take down this Technodrome thing." Miwa said, crossing her arms. "Based on the size of the hole it left, I think it's safe to assume it's pretty large."

"What's your point?" Donatello asked.

"My point is what are we supposed to do when we find it?" Miwa asked. "Crush it with rocks or something?"

"I say we just wing it." Leonardo shrugged. "A thing like that can't be hard to find."

Miwa sighed. "Fine. But if we get killed I'm blaming you."

"Oh sure, cause _that's _a threat." Raphael rolled his eyes.

Minutes later, the Turtles, Splinter, and Miwa were back in the sewers, much to Miwa's disgust. She was just glad they were too focused on running to focus on the water or mud or slime that she didn't want to know the contents of. The six ninjas moved swiftly through the corridors, keeping an eye and ear out for anything suspicious.

"Quickly! Our adversary already has a head start on us!" Splinter urged.

"Head start?" Raphael repeated. "We're gonna need sonar to find this geek!"

"So much for 'not hard to find'." Miwa groaned.

"Relax, Raphael." Michelangelo assured, leaping over a pipe. "We've got Splinter leading us now."

"Yeah, Splinter will find him." Donatello agreed. "Just like sniffing out a rat—eh….hehe….a weasel."

Miwa giggled as she ran alongside Raphael. "So what should we be looking for? Tracks? Seismic activity?"

"Splinter will take care of it." Leonardo assured. "Being mutated has its advantages."

"Such as my night vision and highly developed sense of smell." Splinter explained.

"Okay." Miwa nodded in understanding, leaping over a pipe. "But we still don't know what we're going to do when we reach the Technodrome."

"Go with the flow, sister." Michelangelo said, sliding across a wet pipe. "Go with the flow."

"Yeah, yeah." Miwa waved him off, jumping up to run along another pipe. "Here's another question: why would Oroku Saki want to kill Splinter if he already took the Foot Clan from him?"

"Vengeance and evil can corrupt the mind until only hatred is left." Splinter said. "It is clear that Shredder will not rest until I am destroyed; I, and my students."

"Sounds like him." Miwa nodded. Suddenly, a sharp vibration shook the tunnel, and Miwa felt herself go off-balance. She yelped as she slipped and tumbled down into a smaller tunnel. The Turtles and Splinter skidded to a halt and stared down the tunnel, wincing when Miwa hit the bottom.

"You okay?" Leonardo called.

"Have a nice trip?" Raphael laughed.

"When I get up there I'm gonna turn you into Turtle Purée!" Miwa's voice snapped. There was a rustling sound. "Aw man! I'm stuck! There's something on my leg!"

"Wait, we'll come down there!" Leonardo said, sliding down the chute. "Hold on!"

"Hey I think I found something!" Miwa's voice called again. "Hurry!" The Turtles and Splinter reached the bottom without falling and found Miwa trapped under a little rubble. They worked together and pushed the bits of junk and debris aside and pulled Miwa to her feet.

"What'd you find?" Donatello asked.

"This." Miwa said, holding up a purple mask with yellow eyeholes and a red foot print on the forehead.

"The Foot Clan." Splinter identified.

"I bet the Technodrome is this way!" Donatello said, pointing down the tunnel. "We better get going."

But after almost half an hour of slicing through ropes and pushing random pieces of junk aside, the six of them only made it about ten feet down the clogged tunnel.

"Still no sign of the Technodrome." Raphael sighed. "Where's Tarzan when we need him?"

"Would you guys hurry it up?" Miwa called from farther up the tunnel.

"Hey, excuse us if we're not all monkey-like and can climb over this stuff!" Raphael snapped.

"Check this out!" Michelangelo called. Miwa turned, but had to duck when Michelangelo suddenly swung over her head on a rope, letting out a ridiculous Tarzan shout and landing many feet down the tunnel.

"Show off!" Miwa called. She warily stood up and jumped onto the rope as Raphael swung after his brother. The others followed close behind, with the only problem being Donatello crashing into Miwa and the two of them falling in the sewer water.

"This way, I believe." Splinter instructed, leading the way down the tunnel.

"Gross." Miwa groaned, wringing out her braid. "To think you guys live down here."

"You live with us too, you know." Donatello pointed out.

"Not in the water." Miwa countered. The six of them kept moving, the journey silent and a little awkward, at least for Miwa. She didn't know if she should talk to them or anything like that. After all, she had only been with them a day. So she didn't know what to do in this situation. What _could _she do? Nothing. Except follow her "brothers" and "father" as they journeyed through the cold, damp tunnels of the sewers. However, they soon reached a much larger tunnel, much too large to be a part of the sewer system. They wandered through the tunnel for a while before Miwa found footprints leading down the same path they traveled.

"That rock is freshly drilled." Donatello said, pointing to the smaller hole straight ahead. "Hey look at the size of those tank tracks!"

"That dude's driving Chase stadium around under the city!" Michelangelo laughed. His laughter soon died, however, when they reached a small mountain of rock blocking off the rest of the tunnel.

"This could put a serious cramp in our plans." Raphael noted sarcastically.

"Really?" Miwa countered in an equally snarky tone. "I thought a wall of rock would be _helpful _in finding Oroku Saki."

"Head upward, my sons." Splinter instructed. "Find some way around all this." He started climbing the rocks to the top. "I'll try to get through somehow."

"Through _that_?" Raphael clarified.

"We rats can burrow through anything." Splinter noted.

"He's got us there." Donatello shrugged.

"Wait up!" Miwa called, climbing after Splinter. "I'm coming with you!"

"Why do you get to go and not us?" Raphael asked.

"Because I'm small and you guys have shells." Miwa said. "Now go find another way around. We'll meet you at the Technodrome."

"All right, but you two be careful!" Leonardo called as he and his brothers turned and journeyed back down the way they came. Miwa followed Splinter as he pushed through some rocks, staying right on his tail (no pun intended) so she didn't get lost.

"Are you still behind me?" Splinter asked after about five long minutes of crawling.

"I'm here." Miwa confirmed.

"Good." Splinter nodded in the darkness. "If you want, you may hold onto my tail so you will not get lost."

"I'm okay. Thank you." Miwa said. A few moments of silence. "May I ask you something?"

"You already have." Splinter said.

Miwa rolled her eyes in the dark. "Fine. May I ask you _another _something?"

"You just did." Splinter noted.

Miwa groaned. "Splinter!"

"I am not forbidding you from asking." Splinter chuckled.

"I was just thinking about the Turtles." Miwa said. "They don't take things very seriously, do they?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, they joke a lot. This issue with the Shredder is very dangerous and they don't seem to acknowledge that. Don't they understand that Shredder could potentially kill them?"

"Perhaps there are differences between the deadliness of your Shredder and ours."

"I don't think so. Not yet, anyway. I just don't understand how they can brush off something so important."

Splinter found the edge of the tunnel and carefully slipped down to solid ground. He took Miwa's hand and gently pulled her down to the floor. He continued holding her hand in the pitch darkness as they walked. "Miwa, perhaps my Turtles make jokes more often than yours, but they _do _understand the dangers. But, you must keep in mind that the Turtles have not met Oroku Saki yet. I am more knowledgeable of his capabilities than my students are."

"That's true." Miwa nodded. "So, if this Shredder is supposedly so different from the other two Shredders I've known, what do you think we'll be up against?"

"I must admit I do not know." Splinter said. "I have not seen my old enemy in a long time." He paused. "Stay still." He suddenly punched through a section of the wall, causing it to collapse and let some light stream through. He and Miwa stepped over a pipe and found themselves in a large cavern. Not much to see except rocks, pipes, and….

"What on earth is _that_?" Miwa asked, pointing to the large sphere-shaped structure on tank wheels. A large robot eyeball rested on the very top of the golf ball-looking machine.

"My guess would be the Technodrome." Splinter said.

"Yeesh." Miwa huffed. She followed Splinter as they ventured closer to the Technodrome, looking all around and inspecting the structure.

"There must be _some_ way inside." Splinter murmured.

"A device like this can't have many doors." Miwa said. "Even the front door is most likely hidden or sealed away." She noticed a panel open on the side of the Technodrome. "Splinter, look!"

Splinter turned as a strange robot appeared, swinging a long cable towards him and Miwa. He held up his staff, but the cable hooked around the wood and yanked it from his paws. The robot tossed the staff aside and shot its metal tentacle back towards Splinter. The rat pushed Miwa out of the way as the cable wrapped around him and yanked him off his feet.

"Hey!" Miwa called, scrambling to her feet. "Put him down!" But the robot disappeared inside the Technodrome, with Splinter still caught in the cable. Miwa kept her eyes on the panel he disappeared into and strapped her tekagi-shuko to her palms. She jumped up and clung to the metal, the tekagi-shuko claws helping her to scale the side of the Technodrome until she reached the panel the robot disappeared into. She pulled out one of her kunai and pried open the panel just enough to slip through, tumbling down a small chute and landing a little hard on the metal floor at the end of the tunnel. She shook her head, rubbing her sore backside and groaning. "Ow…."

"Don't move, girl!"

Miwa looked up to see ninjas surrounded her; ninjas dressed in purple pants, black shirts and shoes with white designs, metal arm bands, and large purple masks with yellow eyeholes and a red footprint on the forehead. They surrounded her, weapons raised, but she hardly paid them any attention. She focused more on Splinter at the door across the room. Ropes around his torso kept his arms pinned to his sides and a cloth around his snout kept him silent except for frustrated, muffled shouts. Clutching the end of the ropes was a tall man dressed in black pants and shoes, a gray-purple tunic, and a dark lavender cape. He also wore spiky shoulder pads, shin guards, arm guards and gauntlets. A helmet and metal mask rested on his head, with a design easily recognizable even if he didn't wear the gauntlets.

"Let me guess: Oroku Saki?" Miwa said in a snarky tone.

"Yes, and you will speak to me with respect!" Shredder snapped. "Who are you?"

"Your daughter from another dimension." Miwa said.

Shredder's eyes narrowed. "Foot Soldiers, destroy her. I will deal with the rat." He turned and marched out the door, dragging a struggling Splinter behind him. Miwa tried to follow, but the Foot Ninja blocked her path.

"Oh, _this _is going to be fun." Miwa smirked, cracking her knuckles. She lunged for the nearest ninja, stabbing her claws into his leg, grabbing his wrist, and judo throwing him into a few of the other ninjas. Another ninja ran towards her, but she swiftly kicked his chest and sent him flying backwards and into a wall. However, a loud _CLANG _rang out, and Miwa felt a burst of pain in her foot. "OW!" Miwa held her sore foot and hopped on her uninjured one. "Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow!" She yelped when one of the ninjas grabbed her arm, and she suddenly sliced her claws right through the ninja's arm. The ninja stumbled back…..sparking and jerking and clutching the wires coming from its arm. "Robots? Why do they have to be _robots?_" Miwa ducked when a ninja swung a sword toward her head, and she quickly sliced through the ninja's torso and caused the robot to collapse. Fast as lightning, Miwa dodged attacks and sliced through robot ninjas as they came towards her. Within minutes, the robots became piles of cloth, metal, and wires.

"_Indeed he is!_" Shredder's laughter came from over an intercom. _"If you want to see him again, you'll have to come in!"_

"The guys must be here." Miwa realized. "I gotta find them." She hurried to the door, but found it locked; however, a swift side kick easily broke it down so she could get through. She broke into a sprint down the hallway, looking all around her for anything that could be useful. She also kept her ears open in case she heard a commotion; a commotion equaled the turtles in her mind. Whenever a robot or a Foot Ninja came by, she quickly dispatched it with her gauntlet claws. "Man, these guys aren't very good. They're weak." She skidded to a halt when she spied a shadow coming around a corner. She looked all around, but couldn't see a way to hide except the single door to her right. She rushed inside and closed the door behind her. She pressed her ear against the door, listening for the footsteps and waiting for the people to pass.

"Hey! What are you doing here?"

Miwa spun around and her eyes widened when they befell upon a brain with two purplish-blue eyes, a mouth full of pointed teeth, and a pair of tentacles. "A Kraang?"

"Not _a _Krang!" Krang snapped. "_The _Krang!" He made some strange burping sound. "Wait a minute, how did you know who I was?"

"If I told you, you wouldn't believe me." Miwa said. "Bye now!" She spun around to leave, only for the door to open and Miwa to literally run into the Shredder. The armored man grabbed her arm in a tight grip.

"You again!" Shredder growled. "I should've dealt with you myself!"

"Where's Splinter?" Miwa demanded, struggling to escape Shredder's iron-like grip on her arm.

"Shredder!" Krang croaked. "The Turtles are fighting their way past your robots of death!"

"They're not robots of death!" Shredder snapped. "They're just robots and they bring death!"

"No need to get a hot head, Shredder." Krang chuckled. "That helmet of yours will become like an oven!"

"Just tell me where the Turtles are!" Shredder snapped. "Send some Foot Soldiers, Bebop, and Rocksteady over there so I can lead them in destroying the Turtles and Splinter!"

"You're crazy if you think you can take them!" Miwa snapped. "If Splinter or I can't stop you, the Turtles will!"

"Shut up!" Shredder snapped back, grabbing her other arm and tying a length of thin rope around her wrists. He pulled her forward by her bound wrists, almost dragging her down the hallway. Miwa hardly had time to break free and attack; Shredder kept his speed up so she could only scramble to keep up. A group of Foot Ninja joined them, along with two mutants: one a rhino and one a warthog, both wearing pants and vests for clothes. The warthog had a purple Mohawk with a ponytail. _Bebop and Rocksteady, I guess. _Miwa thought. They finally arrived at a circular door and Shredder opened it. When Miwa looked in, she noticed the Turtles in the center of the room and turning towards them. When she looked up, she saw Splinter, still bound but no longer gagged, and hanging from the ceiling. He looked exhausted, most likely wounded, but relieved that his students were safe.

"I must congratulate you." Shredder said as he stepped forward, pulling Miwa behind him.

"It's the same guys we fought last night!" Donatello realized when the Foot Ninja surrounded them.

"Miwa, are you okay?" Leonardo asked worriedly.

"Bloody brilliant." Miwa grunted as she futilely tried to break free. "If you don't count the fact that I got a crazy person holding me captive!"

"You passed your test with flying colors." Shredder continued, jerking Miwa to her knees and holding his gauntlets to her throat.

"Test? What test?" Raphael demanded as he and his brothers held their weapons ready. "And if you hurt Miwa—"

"The girl?" Shredder laughed. "Don't worry. I will not hurt her…..yet." The Turtles glared at him, but he only continued to talk. "Your hairy little friend—" He gestured up to Splinter. "—knows me as Oroku Saki. But you may call me the Shredder."

"A kitchen utensil?" Raphael scoffed.

"You would be wise to lose your flippant ways if you wish to join the honorable Foot Clan!" Shredder snapped.

"Why should we want to do _that_?" Leonardo demanded.

"Because it was _I _who made you what you are today!" Shredder told them. "If not for me, Hamato Yoshi would never have left Japan! I followed him to this country, where I gained my advanced technology, including my rare experimental mutagen. It was _I _who caused you to mutate into humanoid form. You owe everything to me!"

"Like I said, crazy person." Miwa rolled her eyes. She yelped and growled in pain when Shredder grabbed a fistful of her hair and pulled her upright, pressing the tips of his claws to her jaw.

"Don't deny your destiny." Shredder told the Turtles. "Join me."

The Turtles exchanged looks, as though they seriously pondered the idea.

"Does the phrase 'go suck a lemon' hold any meaning for ya?" Raphael sassed. He turned to Splinter. "Let's cut him down!"

"Very well." Shredder said. "I have my own mutants." Two doors opened on either side of the room, and Bebop and Rocksteady entered ready to fight. "And if _you _won't join me, perhaps this one will." He gestured to Miwa, her hair still in his fist and his claws still to her throat. "Bebop! Rocksteady! Destroy them!"

"With great pleasure, Master Shredder!" Rocksteady chuckled with a snort. He and Bebop charged for the Turtle.

"Jump for it!" Michelangelo called. The Turtles obeyed, and the two mutants crashed into each other.

"You idiots!" Shredder snapped. His claws moved from Miwa's neck just enough for her to take the chance; she hooked the ropes around her wrists on the gauntlet claws and fell to her back, kicking her foot up and over to hit Shredder's stomach. He flew backwards, his claws slicing through her ropes and allowing her to jump to her feet. She looked up and noticed the Turtles clinging to Splinter and the rope he hung from, staring down at them.

"You guys wanna come down and help me kick some shell?" Miwa asked, unsheathing her claws. The guys smiled and jumped down to her, raising their weapons to fight. The Foot Ninja charged for them, but they were no match for the terrapin and human ninjas. Raphael blocked one ninja's sword with his sai and kicked him backwards. Michelangelo jumped to avoid a sword and whacked the Foot Ninja holding it with his nunchaku. The Turtles and Miwa fought hard, kicking and punching and swiping their weapons. Shredder watched with shock and rage as his ninjas fell to a flurry of feet and fists. In under a minute, his ninjas fell to the Turtles' and Miwa's power. He stepped back, not sure what to do considering his underestimate of Splinter's students. Leonardo leaped up into the air and drew one of his katana, slicing through the rope that kept Splinter up in the air. Raphael caught the rat master before he could hit the ground, Leonardo landing beside him.

"Come on, Splinter." Raphael urged. "We're checking out of this dump." They moved for the exit, Miwa covering them to make sure Shredder didn't follow. When they cleared the room and shut the door, Miwa pulled out a kunai knife and sliced through Splinter's bonds. Still, he had no energy left and almost collapsed to the ground. Leonardo pushed the rat's walking stick into his hand and the six of them hurried down the halls and out of the Technodrome. The Turtles led the way, through some of the sewers and up to a couple manholes. Michelangelo and Leonardo looked first to be sure no one would see them before allowing everyone to come up.

"Rest here a moment, Master." Donatello told Splinter, leading him to a park bench.

"You know, that was almost _too _easy." Leonardo noted. Hardly a second later had the road behind them begun to crack and break as something tried to push its way through.

"I _really _wish you'd stop saying things like that." Raphael said. They all flinched when the rock and cement exploded, and Bebop and Rocksteady jumped from the hole, this time armed with guns.

"Oh great." Miwa groaned. "Because it wasn't bad enough that they're mutants!"

"Say your prayers, Turtles!" Rocksteady laughed. They fired their guns, lasers shooting from the barrels, forcing Leonardo and Michelangelo to hold up the two manhole covers to block the attacks.

"Come on!" Michelangelo said. "Let's annihilate those turkeys!" He and Leonardo swung their manhole covers like Frisbees. Rocksteady and Bebop jumped to avoid them, but couldn't avoid the flying kicks from Donatello and Raphael.

"Didn't I see you in the _Jungle Book_?" Raphael taunted. But he and Donatello had to jump away to avoid Bebop and Rocksteady's blasts.

"Miwa, stay back here with Splinter." Leonardo ordered.

"But I can help!" Miwa protested.

"Not with that hand!" Leonardo countered as he joined his brothers in battle. Miwa looked down at her bandaged hand and realized it still throbbed, a little painfully. When she looked up again, the Turtles ran into the zoo nearby, forcing Bebop and Rocksteady to follow them.

"Great." Miwa huffed. She glanced at Splinter and sat down beside him. "Not that I don't enjoy being in your company, Master Splinter, but I don't like missing out on any action."

Splinter chuckled. "Miwa, being a ninja isn't just about fighting or pounding bad guys." His voice came out somewhat weakly, only making Miwa more worried. "I am sure my turtles will defeat these mutants Shredder foolhardily created. I know you do not wish to follow Leonardo's orders, but perhaps you need to rest for a while. You are wounded."

"It's just a scratch." Miwa assured, fingering her bandages. "I caught a throwing knife aimed for my brother."

Splinter took her hand gently in his clawed paws and unwrapped the bandages to stare at the cut across her palm. "The Donatello in the last dimension you visited must've been a very good doctor. It is very unlikely that your hand will fall off."

"Ha ha, very funny." Miwa smirked, rewrapping her wound in the same cloth. "I almost forgot to laugh."

"Do you _ever _take a break from being so on edge?" Splinter asked.

"I can't." Miwa shook her head. "If I lose my focus, I or a comrade will die."

"Who told you that?" Splinter asked.

Miwa's eyes narrowed.

* * *

_9-year-old Kuro grunted as her father gripped her arm and judo flipped her to the ground. She growled up at Oroku Saki's scarred face, glaring at him as he kept a firm grip on her arm and collar of her gi._

"_You must be alert at all times." Saki instructed his daughter. "If you lose focus, you could very well lose your life or the life of your comrades, should they go into battle with you. Not every battle will be fought alone; sometimes, a fellow ninja or a number of fellow ninjas will join you."_

"_Hai, Sensei." Kuro said as Saki lifted her into the air and set her down on her feet._

"_If you have comrades in battle, especially close comrades, you must be alert for your sake and theirs." Saki instructed. "Lose your focus, lose your life."_

"_I understand, Father." Kuro bowed. Saki smiled proudly and bowed back._

* * *

"Hey Splinter! Miwa!"

Splinter and Miwa looked up to see the Turtles and April in a white van with a large red "6" on the side. Michelangelo and Miwa help Splinter into the van and April started driving with Donatello giving her directions to the lair and the other Turtles giving her her "story", describing the incidents that happened in the Technodrome. Miwa sat at the back of the van, staring out the window with a frown.

Splinter noticed Miwa's troubled look and gently put a paw on her shoulder. "Miwa? Have I said something that upset you?"

Miwa didn't look at him, but she said, "No, Sensei Splinter."


	23. TMNT: A Thing About Rats

**Chapter Twenty Three- "A Thing About Rats"**

Miwa knelt beside the wooden bed, gazing worriedly at Splinter as he slept. She sighed and stood up, wishing she could do more than stare at the brown rat and wait for him to wake up.

"How's he doing?" Michelangelo asked worriedly.

"Exhausted, but alive." Miwa reported. "No internal injuries from what I can tell."

"He'll be fine." April assured. "He just needs sleep."

The Turtles still didn't look pleased; in fact, they looked absolutely steamed as they left the room to let their master sleep. Miwa followed them out to the entrance to the lair and into the sewers.

"Shredder must pay for this." Leonardo growled.

"I'd like to douse him with that mutagen and turn him into a mutant hamster!" Raphael agreed.

"He'll pay all right." Donatello nodded. "By turning Splinter back into a human being."

"Stay with him, April." Leonardo called softly into the lair.

"Come on!" Raphael urged. "Let's find that Technodrome!"

"Hold up!" Miwa said suddenly, stopping the boys. "In what universe is that a good idea?"

"Miwa, you saw what Shredder did to Splinter!" Leonardo pointed out.

"All I saw was Shredder dragging Splinter off." Miwa corrected. "Then I saw him with you guys. Nothing more nothing less."

"Miwa, Shredder _cannot _get away with this!" Raphael stomped his foot in determination.

"Revenge is not the answer." Miwa said. "Normally, I would be all for battling it out with the Shredder. But not now, when it's so soon after the battle. We can't risk it."

"Miwa, you should go home." Donatello suggested. "Shredder obviously has some interest in you and we can't risk you getting hurt. That wouldn't be fair."

"Fair?" Miwa scoffed. "Was it fair when Splinter pushed me out of the way so Shredder's robot wouldn't capture me? Was it fair when you guys forced me to stay behind to watch Splinter while you fought? Was it fair when I jumped through a portal that was supposed to send me home and it sent me here instead?"

The Turtles fell silent for a while. "Miwa, we have to do this." Michelangelo said.

"We owe it to Splinter to change him back to his original form." Leonardo explained. "He took care of us and practically raised us. He doesn't deserve to live underground, away from people, from a warm home, from the light of the sun."

"He may be a ninja master," Raphael added. "But he's still human…in a sense."

Miwa sighed. "Fine. Do what you believe is right. But I'm staying with Splinter. I can look after and protect him."

"You sure you shouldn't be getting home with that amulet of yours?" Donatello asked.

"It won't work." Miwa said, pulling the amulet from her collar. "I've tried activating the portal, but for some reason the amulet won't work. I guess it takes a few days to recharge or something. Besides, I feel like I need to stay for a while. Just to keep an eye on you shell heads."

"Ha, ha." Raphael rolled his eyes. "So funny I forgot to laugh."

Miwa smirked and returned to the lair. She walked over to Splinter's bedside, staring at him with a concerned look. He lay on his stomach, using his arms for a pillow, and snored softly. He looked peaceful, but his twitching eyes and trouble groans made Miwa think he was having nightmares.

"I think they have some tea in the kitchen." April offered kindly. "You want any?"

Miwa shook her head. April only sighed and disappeared into the kitchen to find the tea. Miwa sat, cross-legged, at the head of the bed and began to draw in her book. She sketched the new versions of her father, brothers, and April. She even drew some rooms from the lair she sat in. She started drawing the amulet, but she frowned and closed her book before she finished. She couldn't understand why the amulet wouldn't work. At first, she thought that she had to wait a while for the talisman to "recharge" before using it again. But then she got a strange feeling in her stomach; like the amulet didn't _want _her to leave just yet. She had no idea why, but she went along with it.

_I can't screw up now. _Miwa determined. _If I screw up, I lose any chance I get at returning home._

"I got the tea!" April said cheerfully. But when she entered the room, she found Miwa slumped over on the bed, using the side of the bed for a pillow and sleeping soundly. April only smiled and set the tea down, putting her hands on her hips and raising an eyebrow. "Never in my life have I met a girl like you, Hamato Miwa." She found an old blanket and gently draped it over Miwa's shoulders before sneaking from the room to drink her tea in the kitchen.

* * *

_Flames._

_Flames everywhere._

_And smoke. Lots of smoke that invaded her lungs and clouded her sight._

_Miwa waved a hand, and the smoke suddenly cleared until she realized she stood in a burning building. Flames surrounded her and prevented her from moving. She looked down and noticed her old green pajamas and her hair hanging loose down her back, the way she usually dressed when going to sleep. She jumped when a burning beam fell beside her._

"_Help! Somebody help us!"_

"_Help!"_

"_I'm too pretty to die!"_

"_Sensei! Somebody please help us!"_

_Miwa spun around and looked in all directions, but she couldn't find the source of her brothers' cries._

"_Miwa!"_

_Miwa felt a pair of hands grab her arms and pull her backwards as burning debris hit the spot she recently stood in. She turned and her face broke into smiles at the sight of her father. Her _true _father with the black, white, and brown fur and the warm, bright mahogany eyes. "Daddy!"_

_Splinter pulled his daughter into a hug, but the moment was short-lived; the building began to shake as more burning bits of wood fell dangerously close to the pair. "Come on."_

"_Sensei! Miwa! Somebody help us please!"_

"_The guys!" Miwa realized._

"_No." Splinter breathed worriedly. He took off down the hall, Miwa close behind. Their worry only grew to horror when they heard terrified screams followed by deathly silence. Splinter stopped outside an old bedroom and kicked the rice paper doors down. But the second he and Miwa looked inside, they both wished they hadn't._

_Blood. On the floor and a little on the walls, all of it coming from the bodies of three humanoid turtles on the ground:_

_One armed with twin katanas and masked in blue._

_One armed with a bō staff and masked in purple._

_One armed with twin sai blades and masked in red._

"_No." Miwa shook her head, covering her mouth with her hand in shock._

"_My sons." Splinter breathed._

_A cruel laugh rang out through the air, and heavy footsteps came from the other side of the room. Mikey suddenly flew from the shadows and hit the ground hard, right between his brothers' broken bodies and his only two family members left alive. Then Shredder emerged from the same shadow, stepping over Leo's, Donnie's and Raph's bodies as though they were rugs. Shredder grabbed Mikey's mask tails and pulled him upright, raising his claws to the youngest turtle's throat._

"_Saki, wait!" Splinter called._

_Shredder looked up. "Yes?" he asked mockingly._

"_Don't kill him." Splinter pleaded. "Please don't take him."_

"_Why not?" Shredder demanded. "I've already taken your other three sons. Why shouldn't I take him and then your daughter?"_

"_Let him go." Miwa ordered. "You want me? Come get me. But if you hurt Mikey, I'll kill you."_

_Shredder chuckled darkly. "Very well. Come and face me, my child." He suddenly sliced through Mikey's throat, and the turtle's eyes rolled in their sockets as he fell to the floor, dead._

_Miwa hardly thought. She charged for Shredder, not realizing she somehow instantly changed to her ninja gear with her gauntlet claws. She swiped for his face, but he suddenly grabbed her wrist and threw her into a wall. Although the walls were made of rice paper and thin pieces of wood, it felt like concrete on her back. Suddenly, Shredder lunged for her with his claws aimed right for her heart._

"_NO!"_

_Miwa's eyes widened when Splinter suddenly jumped between them. But Shredder's claws went right through Splinter and hit Miwa as well, slicing through their hearts._

* * *

In a dimension far, far away, Splinter bolted upright, breathing hard and dropping the picture of him, Tang Shen, and Miwa, which he apparently held when he fell asleep.

"Miwa." He breathed.

* * *

Miwa bolted upright, breathing hard and gripping the mattress of the bed she used as a pillow.

"Dad." Miwa breathed.

"Are you all right, Miwa?"

Miwa looked up and noticed this dimension Splinter finally woke up, now sitting on the edge of the bed and staring at her worriedly. He didn't look _that_ similar to her real father, but Miwa felt an involuntary shudder when she remembered the dream.

"I'm okay." Miwa lied. "Just a nightmare."

"Well, look who's finally up." April smiled as she walked in, carrying her purse. "How are you feeling?" she asked Splinter.

"A little better." Splinter said, stretching his stiff muscles. "Oroku Saki gave me quite a going over."

"Listen, I gotta go." April told them. "I haven't been home since I met you guys. I gotta check my mail; get girled up; see if I still have a job."

"Of course." Splinter nodded. "I hope we haven't interfered too much with your life, April."

"Oh, only totally." April giggled. "Tell those four turtle boys I'll be back soon!" She walked from the lair, humming as she did.

Miwa stood and brushed off her pants. "Same old April. Sassy yet sweet."

"Indeed." Splinter nodded. "She has only been with us for a few days, but I know April is a very good friend."

Miwa went silent for a moment. She bowed to Splinter, keeping her eyes to the floor. "I apologize for not doing more to help you. I don't know what Shredder did to hurt you, but I know I should've been there to help. I failed you, and I am sorry for that."

"Miwa, you did nothing of the sort." Splinter assured, gently coaxing her to stand up straight. "You followed me despite my desire for you to stay behind. Your devotion is commendable."

Miwa frowned, not looking into Splinter's eyes. "I put it upon myself to protect this family after my first one was cruelly taken away from me. Even if I'm in another dimension, that responsibility still falls on my shoulders."

Splinter sighed. "Miwa, I sense much darkness and pain within you." He gently took her shoulders in his paws and steered her towards a couple tatami mats. He lifted two pieces of white cloth and tied one around his forehead. He tied the second one around Miwa's forehead. "Meditate with me. Perhaps some peacefulness will calm you."

Miwa sighed through her nose and sat cross-legged a few feet in front of Splinter. She rested her hands in her lap and closed her eyes. But every time she did, flashes of her nightmare came back to haunt her. The blood on the floor and the walls; the smoke that burned her lungs; the pain from watching her father stabbed; the crackling and rumbling of burning debris…

_Wait, that's not burning debris. _Miwa realized. _That's something in the walls. _She opened her eyes and looked around, listening to the scratches and the rumbles coming from the stones. Splinter opened his eyes as well, and they both listened closely to unfamiliar sounds.

"What isthat?" Miwa muttered.

"I'm not sure." Splinter murmured.

Miwa's eyes widened when a section of the wall collapsed and small metal creatures emerged from the hole. Each creature walked on two legs, had only one red eye, and a large mouth with three sharp, teeth-like points. The robots barely stood as tall as Miwa's knee, but their sleek white and black bodies made her nervous for some reason.

"What they heck _are _those things?" Miwa demanded, pulling out a shuriken.

"I do not know." Splinter said, grabbing his walking stick and raising it like a bat. "But it cannot be good."

Miwa jumped when one of the robots snapped at her foot. She swiftly kicked it like a soccer ball, sending the robot flying into the wall and causing it to explode. "Ouch! Why are all your enemies made of _metal_?! Where'd these guys come from anyway?"

"I would imagine only one person who would outwardly attack my home." Splinter growled.

"Oh why am I not surprised?" Miwa groaned.

"So, Oroku Saki is reduced to sending machines after me?" Splinter growled, whacking one of the robots aside with his staff.

Miwa flung her shuriken, but it did nothing to stop the robots from coming. She stabbed her gauntlet claws into them, a much more effective method of shutting them down, but whenever she destroyed one two more took its place. Splinter swung his staff, knocking more robots aside, but had to jump to a clear spot when the robots closed in. One robot, however, jumped up and hit Splinter's foot, causing him to hit the ground hard. Miwa kicked a robot away, only to wince when her foot started throbbing. "Man, I'm going to have such bruises after this! Where are the guys when you need them?"

Splinter didn't have time to answer; he was too busy punching robots aside when they jumped towards his face and throat. Suddenly, a bō staff smashed a robot to pieces. A katana sliced one in half and a nunchaku whacked a robot to cause it to explode.

"Hang on, Master Splinter!" Leonardo called, jumping up and swinging on a pipe.

"Somebody call for a turtle?" Raphael laughed as he followed Leonardo's lead.

"It's about time!" Miwa snapped, leaping up to Raphael. The red-banded turtle wrapped an arm around her waist and held her close while he swung back to join his brothers. He drew his sais and stabbed two robots in the head, knocking them together and causing them to fall to pieces. Miwa unsheathed her gauntlet claws and sliced a few robots to pieces.

"Get off of my bō!" Donatello snapped at a couple robots when they bit onto his staff.

"Rock and roll!" Michelangelo laughed, swinging a couple robots around and smashing them.

"Would you focus?" Miwa snapped, drop kicking a robot into the ceiling. Within seconds, the robots became nothing more than piles of wire, metal, and a little motor oil.

"All right, who's gonna clean up this mess?" Raphael complained as the guys sheathed their weapons.

"Where'd these metal maniacs come from?" Michelangelo wondered, looking over a destroyed robot head.

"Where do you think, Michelangelo?" Raphael scoffed.

Donatello picked up a broken foot and looked at the stamp on the bottom. "'Trademark Baxter Stockman Inventions'." He read. "What kind of idiot puts his name on a death machine?"

"An idiot with an ego problem?" Raphael suggested, looking over a robot head.

"Wait, Baxter Stockman?" Miwa asked, taking the metal foot from Donatello. "We have a guy by that name in my dimension. He's a technological genius and a certifiable lunatic. In the last dimension I went to, he took 'lunatic' to a whole new level. Guess he isn't so smart in this dimension; common sense-wise, that is."

"I don't know who Baxter Stockman is," Donatello said. "But I can practically smell the Shredder behind all this."

"Oh great!" Raphael groaned. "The guy we haven't seen any sign of all day!"

Leonardo knelt to the robots, analyzing the pieces of the robots that tried to kill Splinter and Miwa. He started digging through the broken pieces for clues. "We must find this Baxter Stockman first. Through him, we find the Shredder."

"Guys, if Shredder is really behind this, do we _really _want to go looking for him?" Miwa asked. "No doubt he has plenty more of these robot things ready to use."

"We can take them down easy." Raphael assured. "Finding Shredder is our top priority."

"I hope _he's _easier to scope out than the Technodrome was." Michelangelo said.

"Yeah. All we've got on him is a name." Donatello agreed.

"I feel we need April's skills as a reporter for this." Splinter said, leaning heavily on his walking stick. "I suggest you pay her a visit at her apartment."

"You better come with us, Master Splinter." Leonardo suggested.

"Yeah, we don't want any of those bigmouths putting the bite on you again." Michelangelo agreed.

"Don't you think we should track these things back to their source?" Miwa asked.

"That's what we're doing." Donatello said as they left the lair. "We find Stockman, the creator of these robots, we find Shredder."

Miwa sighed. "I still think it's a bad idea; if Shredder's sending robots after Splinter, he'll send them after us too. And those things give me bruises."

"It could be worse." Michelangelo shrugged.

"How?" Miwa asked. "From what I've seen, most of your enemies are made of metal. I have bruises on my knuckles and my feet from fighting them. Which brings up another question: why is it that every time I hit something metal in this dimension it explodes so easily?"

The Turtles exchanged looks before shrugging.

* * *

April sighed as she walked from the bathroom, brushing out her damp hair. "I've been hanging out in the sewers too long. Running around with mutant turtles; chasing killers under the city; I had almost forgotten what _real _life was like."

_Ding dong! _Cried the doorbell.

April raised an eyebrow. "Who in the world could _that _be?" She pulled the door open and her eyes widened when she saw six familiar figures: four turtles in ninja gear, a rat in magenta kimono, and a young Japanese girl in ninja clothing with spiked gauntlets.

"Could we interest you in a subscription to 'Turtles Home Companion'?" Raphael teased.

"Oh no!" April groaned. She hurriedly pushed the door open to let in the ninjas. "What are you guys doing here? How did you get here? Did anyone see you come in?"

"Any special order you want those questions answer in?" Raphael asked.

"Yes, quickly!" April snapped.

"Looking for Baxter Stockman." Donatello said, ticking off the points on his fingers. "By the sewers, and no. Does that clear things up?"

"I can't remember what I asked." April admitted, plopping down on her couch.

"We're looking for the genius who built this." Michelangelo said, holding up the robot head.

"His name is Baxter Stockman." Leonardo added.

"That's _all _you've got to go on?" April asked. "A name?"

"We think he's working with the Shredder." Leonardo said, bouncing the robot head off his arm a few times. "He's our only key to tracking down the Technodrome."

"Well, I can see what my computer turns up." April said. "Put that back, Raphael!"

Raphael looked over the picture of the toaster. "Where do you plug this thing in?"

April sighed and led Splinter to her guest room. "Splinter, why don't you rest in the bedroom? The rest of you _try _to stay out of trouble!"

"Roger, April!" Raphael said.

"You promise?" April asked from the other side of the door.

"We promise, April." The Turtles chimed.

"Why is it I don't quite believe you guys?" April sighed. She disappeared into what they assumed was an office while Splinter shut the door to the bedroom.

"You guys heard her." Miwa said. "No trouble."

"Miwa, we'll be fine." Donatello assured as he started messing with April's phone.

Miwa rolled her eyes and moved to April's balcony, jumping up and sitting on the railing. She breathed in the cool night air, looking out over the city. She hardly paid attention to the guys as they rummaged around April's apartment, curious as ever. She stared at the buildings surrounding her and down at the streets. She felt an itch on her neck and scratched it, but her fingernails caught something. She reached into her shirt and pulled out a necklace on a chain. She stared sadly at the turtle charm in her palm, with her name carved in Japanese hiragana on the plastron of the turtle. She held the turtle charm close to her heart, kissing it softly. "Oh Daddy….you have no idea how much I miss you." She opened her fist to stare at the turtle charm when something caught her eye. She tucked the charm back under her collar and leaned out just enough to see one of the robots from before jogging down the sidewalk. Miwa didn't know how even a single robot survived the Turtle onslaught, but she knew at once that that robot could lead her and the others straight to Baxter Stockman and/or Shredder. Miwa looked back to tell the guys, but she paused when she noticed them still poking through things and overall making a mess. Miwa bit her bottom lip nervously, wondering if telling them was really that big of a deal. Did they _have _to know? After all, they weren't very responsible; more importantly, they were reckless and wanted to rush into battle with Shredder. Miwa wouldn't deny that she had a strong sense of revenge; she liked keeping things even, especially if she was wronged by another. She looked back and noticed the robot going farther and farther down the street. She looked back one last time at the Turtles before pulling up her legs and crouching on the railing. She stood up straight and leaped off the railing, somersaulting and landing on the construction site across the alley. She landed on the metal beams and took off, leaping from one level to another and down to the street. She tied her mask around her eyes and set her sights on the small robot as it ran down the street.

_Sorry, guys. _Miwa said. _There are some things best left to professionals._

"I thought I told you guys to stay out of trouble!" April snapped, suds and bath water dripping from her hair and bathrobe.

"We aren't in any trouble." Donatello protested.

"That's what _you _think!" April growled. She held up the information she got on Baxter Stockman. "Here, I found Baxter Stockman's address. Why don't you go _there _and do some damage?"

"Hey come on, we weren't doin' anything bad." Michelangelo insisted.

"Yeah, Miwa will vouch for us." Raphael said. "Right Miwa? Miwa?" Everyone turned to the balcony, but only saw the open night air.

"Where'd she go?" Leonardo wondered aloud.

* * *

Miwa continued to follow the small robot, keeping a safe distance away and ducking behind a corner whenever it turned towards her. She continued to trail it until she arrived at an old, run-down mansion downtown, standing on a hill and surrounded by a stone and iron fence. She watched as the robot disappeared into the building before hopping the fence. She hurried up the hill and ducked down below the steps. She crawled up the stairs to the front door, looking all around to see if anyone saw her. She slowly took the door handle and twisted it; the door opened easily. Miwa carefully stepped inside, closing the door behind her, and snuck through the house. She winced a little as the floorboards creaked beneath her feet, wishing the house wasn't so old.

Suddenly, a door across the hall opened and a Caucasian man came out, yawning. Miwa froze, staring at the blonde-haired man in the blue jeans, white shirt, black vest, yellow bow tie, and white lab coat.

The man wiped his glasses off on his lab coat and put them on. He blinked in surprise. "Oh. Hello. Can I help you with something?"

"Um…." Miwa thought quickly. "I'm looking for my father. Who are you?"

"Dr. Baxter Stockman." The man introduced. "Inventor extraordinaire. And you are?"

"Oroku Kuro." Miwa lied. "I believe you work for my father, Oroku Saki."

Stockman groaned. "If only I wasn't. I thought that when he came to me to help manufacture my mousers, I thought he just had a thing against rats. But he's an utter lunatic!"

"Mousers?"

"They're robots I invented to capture and sometimes kill rats. Sort of like an ultimate rat trap."

_So _that's _why those things found Splinter so easily. _Miwa realized. "Well, I should go find my father. Do you know where he is?"

"Obsessing over the master control I built upstairs." Stockman yawned. "I'm going home; I'm exhausted."

"Very well." Miwa stepped aside so Stockman would pass. "Have a nice sleep."

"Thank you miss!" Stockman said pleasantly. "You're so much kinder than your father!"

"You can say that again." Miwa muttered with a smirk as she darted down the hall and to the stairs. _Wait, if those things found Splinter so easily, then they'll track him right back to April's apartment! Then again, if I shut down the master control, they won't be able to harm them. Besides, I'm closer to the master control than April's apartment. _She hurried up the stairs, taking them two at a time, and stayed close to the wall to avoid detection. The mouser robot seemed to disappear, but Miwa focused more on the lights coming from the room down the hall. She carefully peered through the doorway. The room, however, looked mostly empty and run-down like the rest of the house, save for the giant machine in the corner, a large metal structure pushed right through the floor, and Shredder at the controls of the machine.

"Now, my children!" Shredder laughed evilly as he worked the controls. "Seek out Hamato Yoshi, the four turtles, and that newswoman April O'Neil! Destroy them all!" He sighed in content. "It feels so good to be so bad."

Miwa rolled her eyes. "Oh brother. It's like one of Leo's _Space Heroes _episodes." She pulled out two shuriken and flung them. Shredder jumped when they pierced the machine, dangerously close to his hand. He spun around just as Miwa roundhouse kicked his head hard enough to send him flying to one side. She quickly examined the controls, staring at the blinking lights and the screens that made no sense to her. She turned when Shredder charged for her, and she blocked a couple of his attacks before sweeping his legs and forcing him to the ground. Shredder, however, jumped back up to his feet and swung his foot around to kick Miwa's head. She ducked down, causing Shredder to kick the machine instead.

"Ouch!" Shredder growled, holding his now-throbbing foot. "Why you little pest!"

"_I'm _a pest?" Miwa scoffed. "Look in the mirror, Shredhead."

Shredder narrowed his eyes, but suddenly dropped his stance and stood straight and tall, crossing his arms. "Your tongue is quite sharp for someone so young. Exactly _who _are you?"

"I told you already." Miwa said. "I'm your daughter from another dimension."

"So, you weren't lying about that?" Shredder guessed.

"In one time, a man known as Oroku Saki raised me as his daughter." Miwa explained. "Then I found out he lied to me. While I don't really see him as my father very much, I must give him credit for training me to be the ninja I am today."

Shredder nodded, musing over the information. "I see. How interesting. Why are you here?"

Miwa narrowed her eyes with a frown. "Why do you care?"

"Just curious." Shredder said. "You are a very interesting girl. More importantly, I happen to be stalling."

Miwa's eyes widened. She felt a presence behind her and turned to face a Foot Ninja sneaking up behind her. She decapitated the robot ninja in one swift motion, but then something hard collided with her head and she collapsed to the ground, her vision going dark.

* * *

"Hurry, Michelangelo, hurry!" Leonardo urged. "If Shredder's got hundreds of those mousers, they're probably already at April's by now!"

"I'm going as fast as I can!" Michelangelo insisted. "This thing isn't as fast as it looks!"

"Raphael, any sign of Miwa?" Leonardo asked.

Raphael looked all around as he leaned out the window. He pulled himself back in the van and sat on the seat. "Nothing. I just don't get it; how does someone just disappear out of thin air?"

"Miwa's not like any ninja we've met." Leonardo reminded them. "And that's saying something considering how few ninjas we've met. I think it would be pretty easy for her to blend with the shadows."

"I got a bad feeling about Miwa." Donatello said worriedly. "She's been gone for too long."

"You don't think she'd go after Shredder, do you?" Michelangelo asked.

"She told us not to run into battle so quickly." Raphael pointed out. "I bet you anything she did some digging and she found something we didn't."

"But now I bet she's in trouble." Leonardo sighed. "We gotta find her."

"Come on, this is Miwa we're talking about." Raphael assured. "If I know her, she's kicking butt and not even breaking a sweat."

* * *

Miwa wearily blinked her eyes open and shook her head to rid the dizziness. She tried to sit up when she found her arms pinned behind her and her legs refused to move. When her vision cleared, she found her arms chains behind her to the backrest of a wooden chair and her ankles chained to the chair legs. She looked all around, finding herself in the same room that the machine rested. She felt a cloth over her mouth, indicating Shredder gagged her.

"Good evening, daughter dearest."

Speak of the devil.

If Miwa could speak, she would let loose a string of words that would compel her father to wash her mouth out with soap. Twice.

"Oh do relax." Shredder waved her off. "I won't kill you. You seem to have quite the interesting story. I would love to hear more when I'm finished with Hamato Yoshi and the Turtles."

Miwa growled, glaring harshly at Shredder when he turned his back to her. She struggled against her bonds, but she remained stuck tight. Either Shredder had good knot tying skills or about two or three padlocks kept the chains in place. She desperately wished she could somehow cut through the chains, but soon realized her gauntlets disappeared. Suddenly, her sharp ears picked up soft squeaking of floorboards, and she remained still to listen. _Someone's coming up the stairs. _She realized. _They're sneaking….the guys! _

Shredder must've heard the speaking as well; he grabbed a gun from the corner and slowly made his way to the door. The wood swung open, and Miwa's eyes widened when Michelangelo stepped inside. Shredder quickly leaped forward and pressed the gun barrel to the turtle's nose, halting him in his tracks.

"Not so fast, Turtle Boy." Shredder growled.

Michelangelo looked past Shredder and noticed Miwa chained to the chair in the corner. "Miwa! You _are _here!"

Miwa tried to speak, but the gag over her mouth only allowed muffled shouts.

"Don't worry, Miwa, I'll get you out of there in no time!" Michelangelo promised.

"I don't think so." Shredder chuckled evilly. He jerked the gun forward, pressing it threateningly against Michelangelo's beak. "Move."

Michelangelo gulped, but obeyed Shredder's orders. Shredder pushed the turtle out of the room, shutting the door behind him. Miwa struggled against her bonds, but her efforts remained futile. She struggled so hard the chair tipped and she fell to one side. She groaned and bonked her head against the floor in frustration. Minutes later, Shredder returned and went right back to work on the machine.

"So, they're all here." Shredder said, staring at a screen on the machine. He laughed evilly. "Time to give my mousers new orders." He started typing numbers and pushing buttons, ignoring Miwa's constant struggling.

_What kind of idiot am I that I had to get captured like this? _Miwa berated herself. _What's worse, I got Michelangelo captured as well. What am I supposed to do? And while I'm on the subject, what was I listening to Shredder for? It's not like he was making any good points. Then again, he _did _seem pretty interested in me. I mean, he's keeping me in the same room as him while Michelangelo's tied up somewhere else. Why? What is so interesting about me?_

"You called for us, Master Shredder?"

Miwa jumped a little when Rocksteady's voice brought her from her thoughts. She was focused so much on her thinking she never noticed Shredder's mutant henchmen enter the room.

"Yes." Shredder pointed to Miwa. "Take her back to the Technodrome and put her in a holding cell. I have some questions only she can answer."

"Yes Master Shredder." Bebop snorted. "Come along little girly."

Miwa struggled furiously, but the mutant rhino and warthog effortlessly picked her up and carried her to the metal tube-like structure. A door slid open, and the two mutants carried Miwa (still chained to the chair) inside. The door slid shut, and the floor suddenly dropped.

_Oh this just got really, _really _bad. _Miwa groaned.

* * *

Michelangelo burst through the door, twirling his nunchakus. "Heads up, Shredder!" He laughed. But he moved quickly to avoid the blasts from Shredder's ray gun. "Oh, big man with a gun!" He tossed one of his nunchakus, but it bounced harmlessly off one of Shredder's shoulder pads. "Come on, fight like a turtle!" Shredder kept firing his gun, but the ninja turtle continued to effortlessly dodge the blasts. "Missed me by a mile!" Michelangelo taunted, making silly faces to further anger Shredder.

"You impudent idiot!" Shredder snapped angrily, firing blast after blast.

"Come on, Chrome Dome!" Michelangelo taunted. "Hit me with your best shot!"

"You bet I will!" Shredder assured, firing one last blast. But Michelangelo jumped aside just in time, and the blast hit the machine instead. The machine exploded, now utterly useless, and Shredder shouted in frustration. "No! No! You'll pay for that!" He started blasting at Michelangelo again, only to miss again and again.

"Will you take an IOU?" He laughed as he punched through a wall and escaped.

Shredder growled in frustration, but soon the ceiling began to crumble and fall around him. "Oh no!" Realizing the building would collapse any minute, Shredder darted for the tube to the Technodrome. He dropped the tube/drill down to the Technodrome and stomped out the door to the control room. "Get this thing moving now!"

"Right, Master Shredder!" Rocksteady nodded. "And good news: that mean girly is all locked up!"

"Good." Shredder nodded, monitoring the screens as the Technodrome moved. "Did you deliver the package as I ordered?"

"Sure thing, boss." Bebop said. "We just dropped it off, just like you said."

"What's so important about it?" Rocksteady asked.

Shredder smiled evilly under his mask. "It is a clear message to an old enemy."

* * *

Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello, April, and Splinter watched as the mansion exploded a little bit and then collapsed to rubble and debris.

"Guess they must've hit a gas main." Donatello shrugged.

"That's the end of the mousers." Raphael sighed.

"Yes, but what about Michelangelo?" Leonardo asked worriedly. The three brothers suddenly rushed to the rubble, calling for the orange-banded turtle as they pushed wood and rocks around to find him.

"If anything's happened to that little twerp I'll—" Raphael's eyes widened when he saw a green foot and hand, sticking out from under a door. "Oh no!" He rushed to the door, worried etched across his face. "Michelangelo, say something! Say something!"

He pushed aside the door….to find a completely unharmed turtle.

"I just love hide-and-seek." Michelangelo said casually. "Don't you?"

Leonardo and Donatello shared a look, but only shrugged it off.

Raphael looked ready to pound his brother, but his attention was drawn to the large, out-of-place hole in the ground. He stuck his head inside and looked down. "Well, guess what? The Technodrome's long gone."

"That Shredder's getting to be a real pain in the tail." Donatello groaned.

"We need some way to track him." Leonardo said.

"That van's full of all sorts of surveillance gear." Donatello pointed out as they headed back to the van. "If we can rig it up somehow."

"You know what I saw in that old house?" Michelangelo said. "It was this humongous brain! And it had a mouth and eyes and it talked to me!"

"A talking brain, huh?" Raphael asked disbelievingly.

"Yeah!" Michelangelo insisted. "Weird, huh?"

"Michelangelo, I do believe you've finally had one pizza too many." Donatello sighed.

Michelangelo opened his mouth to snap at his brothers when his eyes widened. "Wait!" He slammed on the brakes, throwing everyone forward a little and then to the floor.

"Michelangelo!" Everyone shouted.

"Sorry!" Michelangelo said hurriedly. "I just remembered something! Miwa was in the house too!"

"Miwa?" Splinter repeated worriedly.

"Well, I saw her in the control room with Shredder, chained to a chair." Michelangelo explained. "But the last time I went in, she wasn't there."

"She must've gotten out." Raphael said.

"Or Shredder…" Donatello gulped at the thought.

"No, I bet you anything Miwa got out." Leonardo assured. "She has that amulet that lets her travel dimensions. She must've gotten out and used it to travel to another dimension."

"Without saying goodbye?" Donatello asked. Everyone fell silent for a moment.

April's phone broke the silence, and she quickly answered it. "Hello? Hey Irma. Working the night shift again? What? A package for me? From who? Uh, okay I'll be there in a sec." She hung up. "Can we stop by the newsroom? My friend Irma says a package was left for me."

Michelangelo nodded and turned to April's directions. Thankfully, the station was close to the mansion, and they reached it in minutes. April ran inside and came out a few minutes later with a brown package in her hands. She joined the Turtles and Splinter inside the van and Michelangelo started driving back towards the lair.

"There's a note here." April held up the envelope. "'Deliver to April O'Neil immediately'."

"What's in the package?" Raphael asked.

April opened the brown paper and stared at its contents. She showed everyone the two metal gauntlets, green mask, and gold and ruby amulet on the gold chain.

"Those are Miwa's." Leonardo realized. "Those are the gauntlets she uses."

"And that's her mask." Donatello added.

"That's her amulet." Raphael confirmed.

April stared at the contents of the mysterious package. "So…that means…."

"It is very likely that Miwa is no longer with us." Splinter sighed. "I doubt Shredder would send us this if he didn't dispose of the owner to these items."

Everyone went silent, solemnly staring at the last things they had to remember their sister. Michelangelo started up the van and started driving back towards the lair so they could rest. But nobody said a word, all of them too depressed over what they just received. Splinter held the package in his hands, gently rubbing Miwa's mask with his thumb. He felt tears well up in his eyes, but he blinked them away. The other Turtles didn't have it much easier; Michelangelo managed to keep his eyes dry so he could drive, but Donatello cried silently, tears sliding down his cheeks. Leonardo put a comforting hand on his brother's shoulder. Raphael curled into a ball, stabbing his sai blade into his seat in anger.

_Shredder will pay. _Raphael determined.


	24. TMNT: Hot Rodding Teenagers From Dimensi

**Chapter Twenty Four- "Hot Rodding Teenagers From Dimension X"**

For once, the New York City skies were clear enough to let in the dim light of the stars. At least, the light that could shine through the city lights. Clear skies, warm air, and a full moon. A perfect night to relax and take it easy.

But not for four turtles and a news reporter on a mission.

April finally found Baxter Stockman's old building and pulled the van over right in front of it. She turned off the car and the Turtles jumped from the van.

"With all the equipment Baxter left up there we can turn that van into a tracking station." Donatello said. "And hunt down the Technodrome but good!"

"Well yeah, but how are we gonna get it up there?" Michelangelo asked, staring at the four-story building.

Donatello thought for a moment. "Well, I do have _one _idea."

"So's long as it doesn't require much work." Raphael said.

Ten minutes later, they climbed three flights of stairs while pushing the van in front of them.

"Couldn't we maybe have taken the elevator?" Michelangelo groaned as they shoved the hulking car up the stairs.

"It wouldn't fit in the elevator!" Donatello grunted.

"Shut up and push!" Raphael snapped. It took another ten minutes to finally push the van up to the top floor and into Baxter Stockman's lab. The Turtles, however, immediately collapsed right outside the door while April parked the van. She marched up to the terrapins and pulled them to their feet, urging them to get a move on. They had a mission, after all: find the Technodrome and Shredder. They couldn't give up now, when they possessed something that could give them an advantage.

Donatello pulled off the side of the van, tossing the metal aside. His brain exploded with the ideas he had for the van, and it took all the willpower he had to focus on one thing at a time.

"Boy, check out this junk!" Michelangelo laughed.

"Well, I bet ol' Donatello could whip up some heavyweight turtle gear with all these spare parts, huh?" Raphael smirked.

"Yeah, but like, what if Baxter comes back?" Michelangelo asked.

April laughed a little. "Baxter won't be back for a long time, Michelangelo."

"The authorities didn't appreciate it when he tried to take over the city with his mouser robots." Raphael added.

"And I didn't appreciate it when they ate my apartment!" April huffed.

As they talked, Donatello screwed in a backboard and starting attaching a seat to the makeshift door in the van's side. He sighed. "I wonder if all this work is worth it."

"It will be when we hunt the Shredder down." Leonardo assured.

"But why do _we _have to do it?" Donatello asked. "It's the humans' problem!"

"He seems to have it in for _you _guys too." April pointed out. "Or had you forgotten?"

"But us Turtles, outcasts of society." Donatello reasoned. "Why do _we _have to stand alone against the forces of evil?"

"Face it, man." Michelangelo said. "It's the only job we're qualified for."

Donatello thought on it briefly. "Oh yeah. You're right. Well, back to work."

"And let's not forget why we're doing this." Leonardo said. "Not only is the Shredder a threat, but he's the only clue we have to turning Splinter to a human again. And in case you've all forgotten…" Leonardo's fists clenched. "Shredder took away someone very important to us."

Everyone fell silent; Donatello stopped working. Raphael sighed. "I know she was only with us a few days, but I really miss Miwa."

"It's not fair." Michelangelo huffed angrily. "She was supposed to go home."

"And now thanks to us, she's gone." Donatello sighed.

"She _will _be avenged." Leonardo assured. "Shredder will pay for it. And I'm sure we can all take comfort in knowing she stayed strong till the end."

"How can you know that?" April asked.

"It's Miwa we're talking about." Raphael said. "Her strength of body is like her sharpness of tongue."

* * *

"You know this is degrading, right?" Miwa snapped.

"You act like I care." Shredder pointed out.

"Dude, I am chained to a swivel chair and you're pulling me around like some weird dog." Miwa countered. "I don't know which is worse: the fact that it's degrading or the fact that it's totally weird!"

"Oh do shut up." Shredder droned.

Miwa huffed, blowing her bangs from her face. She couldn't do much else. Shredder chained her to a swivel chair and her arms remained pinned behind her back. Her feet were chained to the base of the chair so they didn't drag across the ground but still remained incapable of use. She had no gauntlets and no amulet. Shredder never took her shuriken and kunai knives, but she figured because he never searched her. Still, without proper use of her arms she couldn't use the small blades hidden in her sleeves and belt. Worst of all, Shredder latched leash, a full-on dog leash, around the chains that kept Miwa pinned to the chair, and dragged her around so he could "keep an eye on her". Sometimes, he would ask her questions about her past and her presence in his dimension, but Miwa kept her mouth shut most of the time. Right now, Shredder stood at the controls to the Technodrome's steering, moving the hulking machine through the underground of New York City.

"You addle-brained idiot!" Krang shouted, making Miwa and Shredder jump. "You can't even beat a bunch of miserable turtles! I refuse to give you one more iota of my technology until you finish building my new body!"

"Your body is but one of many biomechanical experiments I am conducting in the Technodrome, Krang!" Shredder snapped. "See? I'm still refining my mutations on the thugs. This next batch will be infinitely superior to these two losers." He glared at Bebop and Rocksteady some feet behind him.

"Hey!" Bebop snorted. "What do you mean?"

"You just give us another shot and you'll see some squished turtles!" Rocksteady added.

"I'm surprised you guys can even shoot a gun." Miwa sassed.

"Why are you wasting time on mutants?" Krang demanded of Shredder. "My stone warriors have amassed in Dimension X. Waiting to overrun this world at my command."

_Well, I guess the goals of the Kraang are similar no matter what dimension you go to. _Miwa mused.

"But I cannot let them see me like this." Krang said, rubbing his forehead sheepishly.

"Dimension X!" Shredder realized. "Of course! The trans-dimensional portal is already complete! Your home dimension is a place of total war, is it not?"

"Yes!"Krang nearly shouted. "A war that has been carried on without me since I was banished here."

"Then I will get the weaponry I need by pulling it through Dimension X!" Shredder declared.

"No!" Krang suddenly cried. "You can't!"

"Call me crazy, but I agree with Brain Squid over here." Miwa piped up.

"But I must!" Shredder insisted. "I, and I alone, must defeat my ancient enemy Hamato Yoshi and his wretched Turtles!" He stomped off, dragging Miwa behind him.

"Saki!" Krang pleaded. "Don't! There's no telling what might come through that portal!"

"You know, if he's that desperate to stop you, then maybe it's a good idea to listen." Miwa suggested. "Believe me; I don't like him about as much as I dislike you. But I know when someone's serious."

"Nobody asked you!" Shredder snapped as he continued through the Technodrome.

Miwa groaned. "Fine. Have fun watching your plan fail."

Shredder hardly listened. He already arrived at the room for the trans-dimensional portal and he started working the controls. Bebop and Rocksteady arrived sooner after, each armed with a gun. _Oh jeez. This is going to end so badly. And even _I _can't speculate what might happen when that portal opens. _She glanced at the large screen-like side of the wall, most likely the portal. _Wait. That's a trans-dimensional portal. Like the one the Kraang in my dimension had to travel to and from Dimension X. I wonder…could it get me home?_

"In a moment, the gateway between Earth and Dimension X will be opened for the first time!" Shredder announced.

"This is _not _going to end well." Miwa muttered under her breath as the screen began to glow and spark.

"All those weapons, guns from beyond our universe, will be mine!" Shredder laughed. "Now, to gain the power of Dimension X!"

"Yee-ha!"

Suddenly, something…no, two somethings, shot out from the portal and went zooming around the air, forcing Shredder, Rocksteady, and Bebop to duck to the ground. Miwa stared, somewhat slack-jawed, at the two flying cars, one red and one blue, and the teenagers occupying them. One teenager was a boy, driving the blue car, with dusty sky blue hair and wearing a strange yellow jumpsuit. The other two teenagers were a boy and a girl. The boy had purple and black hair, blue and yellow sunglasses, and a white and blue shirt with a high collar. The girl had orange and pink hair and a green dress. They looked human, until Miwa noticed the pointed, elf-like ears on the teens and heard their high-pitched, almost squeaky voices.

"Stop them!" Shredder ordered. Bebop and Rocksteady responded by shooting their guns at the teenagers. The teens, however, somehow managed to blast their way through the walls of the Technodrome and disappeared. Bebop and Rocksteady continued to shoot at them.

"Well, _that _was interesting." Miwa chuckled. Suddenly, a larger, almost tank-like flying car came through the portal and went straight towards the hole the teenagers left. Miwa heard someone shout, "After 'em!" and she looked up to see two rock men in army helmets driving the car.

"Not so fast!" Rocksteady laughed as he and Bebop shot at the car.

"Bail out!" one of the rock men shouted as they jumped from the car. Just in time, too; the car crashed into the Technodrome wall and exploded upon impact.

"Why does everything explode so easily in this dimension?" Miwa murmured.

"Boy, and I thought _we _were weird looking." Rocksteady said. He and Bebop approached the grey rock man and the brown rock man, guns aimed and ready to fire. "Okay, Bebop, let's turn these rock faces into gravel!" He and Bebop started shooting, but the rock men fired their own weapons right back.

"Told ya this wouldn't end well." Miwa told Shredder.

"Stop!" Shredder shouted, ignoring Miwa's remark. "Stop! Stop!" Finally, the gun fight ceased.

"We was just starting to have fun." Rocksteady whined.

"Shut up!" Shredder snapped. He turned to the rock men. "You are Krang's stone warriors are you not?"

"Yeah." The brown rock man said. "So?"

"There is something I must show you." Shredder informed them.

"We've gotta catch those kids!" the brown rock man insisted. He and the grey rock man hurried out.

"So much for Thing 1 and Thing 2." Miwa said sassily.

"I can only imagine where you get your attitude." Shredder sighed. He pulled her along as he, Bebop, and Rocksteady followed the rock men through the Technodrome.

By the time they caught up, the rock men already reached Krang. "Those three youths just blasted their way out of my Technodrome!" Shredder snapped.

"The Neutrinos have eluded us!" the gray rock man groaned.

"Neutrinos?" Krang repeated. "Running loose here on Earth? Saki, you imbecile! Why I oughtta—"

"What did I do?" Shredder asked. "Who _are _these Neutrinos?"

"A gang of juvenile delinquents from Dimension X." Krang said. "They're a threat to everything we stand for."

"They hate war." The brown rock man gasped.

"They refuse to join any army!" the gray rock man added.

"And what's worse: they encourage people to have fun!" Krang groaned.

"They sound like normal teenagers to me." Miwa shrugged.

"We have expectations in Dimension X, young lady." Krang reminded her. "And the Neutrinos constantly try to stop everything we do!"

"Well, you guys fight a lot." Miwa said. "If you look at it from the Neutrinos' side, isn't war a bad thing? It only gets people killed."

"You wouldn't understand." Krang waved her off. "This is Dimension X we're talking about."

Miwa rolled her eyes. "Whatever."

"General Traag! Granitor!" Krang snapped at the rock men. "You two must find the Neutrinos! Destroy them!"

"Yes sir!" the humanoid rock duo saluted to their lord and hurried off.

Miwa rolled her eyes. _I don't know how much longer I can handle this. Well, maybe the guys will find the Neutrinos and they can help defeat Shredder. _She gave a small tug to her bonds. _Meanwhile, I should figure out how I'm getting out of this._

* * *

"Man oh man, this is the swigamentz!" Dask laughed as his pinball machine scores rose.

"We didn't think you cats knew how to have fun!" Kala laughed.

"Yeah." Zak agreed. "We thought this was the planet of squares, man."

"Will _somebody _fill me in on what's going on?" April pleaded. "What is this Dimension X?"

"It's Grimsville." Zak sighed.

"All the grown-ups ever do is fight!" Dask added.

"Us Neutrinos are the only ones that like having fun." Kala explained. "And most of the time the grown-ups won't let us!"

"They say it gets in the way of their stupid war!" Dask growled.

"That's how we wound up here!" Zak said. "Some soldiers were after us just because we were driving through their dumb old battlefield."

"You don't know what it's like." Kala sniffed. "Living in a place where everybody wants to do you in. Just for the crime of being young!"

"Aw, don't cry Kala." Donatello soothed.

"Hey, we won't let anyone hurt you here." Michelangelo assured.

"I'm worried." April admitted.

"About what, April?" Donatello asked.

"I'm worried about what _else _might have come to our world from Dimension—" A loud blast interrupted April's statement, and they all whipped around just in time to duck from two tiny missiles shot at them.

"All right you Neutrinos!" General Traag's voice called from outside. "Come out fighting!"

"Who are _they_?" Donatello asked as he and his brothers drew their weapons.

"Stone warriors from Dimension X." Dask warned. "They're bad!"

"Yeah, I guessed that." Raphael droned, twirling his sais. "You got any weapons on those hot rods?"

"Of course!" Dask said as though it were obvious. "They're required by law!"

"We said we wouldn't let anyone hurt you and we mean it!" Leonardo told the Neutrinos. "Come on!" They hurried from the shop, dodging blasts as they all jumped into their respective cars and drove off. But the two rock soldiers wasted no time in giving a chase. The Neutrinos dive bombed the tank the soldiers rode, firing their lasers. The Turtles fired their lasers, but the rock soldiers fired more missiles, forcing April to swerve and jerk the van around to avoid them.

"Slick driving, April!" Donatello complimented. "Now take us alongside it!"

Leonardo pushed the other side door out and jumped onto it, pulling out one of his katanas. He sliced his blade at the most precise moment, slashing through the tires on the tank and forcing it to an abrupt halt.

"Dibsy shootin', head cats!" Dask complimented.

"Let's go back and eradicate them!" Raphael urged.

"Uh oh cats and kittens." Zak gulped. "You dig what I dig?" Everyone turned as sirens blared from down the street, and police cars and a few tanks shot from around the corner.

"Don't those squares know you're on their side?" Dask asked.

"Nah, humans don't know nothing when it comes to turtles." Michelangelo sighed. April cleared her throat, and the orange banded turtle chuckled. "Present company accepted."

"Has anyone stopped to think why the Shredder has a pipe line to an entirely different dimension?" Leonardo pointed out.

"Those stone warriors could just be the beginning!" Donatello realized.

"We must consult with Master Splinter before taking further action." Leonardo decided.

"Neutrinos, follow us." Donatello instructed.

"Sewers, here we come!" Raphael laughed.

* * *

Miwa stared at the controls to the Technodrome as Shredder drove, parking the large machine in what he assumed was a safe spot. Miwa looked behind her and noticed Krang grumbling as he paced back and forth in his little cart. She jumped a little, forcing the swivel chair she sat in to scoot back, inch by inch, until she could face Krang.

"What do you want?" Krang snapped.

"I just wanted to ask about that trans-dimensional portal." Miwa said. "I was just wondering…..can it be used to take things to other dimensions besides Dimension X?"

"It is primarily used as a window between this dimension and Dimension X." Krang said dismissively. "But it has the capabilities to travel to any dimension in the multiverse, given you know the way to find it."

"Get back over here!" Shredder snapped, yanking Miwa back to his side.

Miwa hardly paid attention. _So the portal can get me home. Once I get my gauntlets and my mask, the guys can help me break into the Technodrome and use the portal to transport me home. I'm sure Donatello can figure it out._

"There." Shredder nodded in satisfaction. "We're in position."

"I don't see how moving the Technodrome is going to help." Miwa pointed out. "The Turtles will find you sooner or later."

"I certainly hope so!" Shredder chuckled as he and Krang walked off. "So that we can blast them to pieces!"

"What you failed to realize, girl, is that we have quite the talent for setting traps." Krang chuckled as the door shut behind him.

Miwa's eyes widened. "Oh no. the guys!" She started tugging at her bonds again. "Oh come on! I got to get out of here!" But no matter how much she tried, she couldn't pull free from her bonds. "Oh this is so, _so_ bad."

* * *

"So, tell us more about these stone warriors." Splinter asked.

"They only obey their leader." Dask explained. "A guy named Krang."

"Who is this Krang?" Leonardo asked.

"The supreme warlord of Dimension X, man." Dask said. "Only he got exiled to another universe."

"And his body got split, man." Zak added. "And now he's just this way out brain!"

"You said you saw some kind of brain when we were fighting the mousers yesterday, Michelangelo." Leonardo reminded.

"Oh you bet your sweet shell I did!" Michelangelo nodded.

"So _that _is where the Shredder has been getting his advanced technology." Splinter realized. "To build the means back to his home dimension."

"How many of those stone warriors does Krang have in Dimension X?" Donatello asked.

"Like zillions, man." Zak said.

April gasped. "Then, he's going to bring them here and conquer our universe!"

"Neutrinos, we have got to stop Krang!" Dask declared.

"Turtles, we gotta help 'em do it!" Raphael added.

"Great, but how?" April asked.

"We find this freak and push him back through the portal to Dimension X." Raphael said simply.

"Don't worry Kala." Michelangelo promised. "We won't let _anything _happen to you."

"We'll protect you from Krang, Shredder, _and _the rock soldiers!" Leonardo affirmed.

"What about the Shredder dude's weird pets?" Dask asked worriedly.

"Bebop and Rocksteady?" Raphael clarified. "No problem."

"Yeah, but what about the small one he keeps on that chain?" Zak asked.

"Chain?" Donatello asked. "What are you talking about?"

"When we first came through the portal, man." Zak explained. "We saw that Shredder guy with these two ugly guys and a cute girl."

"You said she was chained up?" Leonardo asked hurriedly.

"Yeah." Kala shrugged. "We didn't get a very good look, but she looked kind of like a Neutrino without the pointed ears."

The Turtles, Splinter, and April exchanged surprised glances. "You don't think…?" Michelangelo breathed.

"You four must hurry if you are to help the Neutrinos." Splinter urged. "It is very possible that you will find Miwa there at the Technodrome as well."

* * *

Miwa kept struggling, desperate to get free to warn her other-dimension brothers. But no matter what she did, she couldn't free herself. Her anger didn't help; it only made things more and more hopeless. Finally, Miwa sighed and slumped down. _It's hopeless. All I can do is sit here. What kind of ninja am I if I can't get myself free? _Miwa glanced at a screen nearby and did a double-take when she noticed her reflection. Her mask was gone, but the white cloth bandana Splinter tied around her forehead remained, resting right under her bangs. His words echoed in her head.

_"I sense much darkness and pain within you. Meditate with me. Perhaps some peacefulness will calm you."_

Miwa took a deep breath, in through her nose and out through her mouth. She closed her eyes, focusing only on what would make her calm and content. Her father, her brothers, April, even her childhood memories with Saki and Karai.

"Come along, girly." Rocksteady said, grabbing the leash on the chair and dragging her behind him. "Krang wants to see you."

Miwa didn't open her eyes. She felt around the chains on her wrists, feeling the metal links pressing against her sleeves. She wiggled and pulled, trying to slip at least one hand free. Then, she felt something hard on one of her sleeves. She opened her eyes and looked behind at her hands. Her eyes widened with happiness when she spied a hair pin, hooked onto her sleeve. She didn't know when she hooked it there, but she pushed the thought aside. She pulled the pin free and bent it at the proper angle for usage. In one hand, she held one of the padlocks keeping the chains tied tight. In the other, she used the pin to pick the lock. She bit her tongue, her eyes darting briefly to Rocksteady and Bebop to make sure they didn't see her work. She finally heard the _click _of the first padlock opening and worked on the second one. Seconds later, she heard the lock open. She pushed the pin back onto her sleeve and wiggled her wrists, pulling her arms from the chains to escape.

Bebop finally turned and his eyes widened. "Hey!" He and Rocksteady lunged for her, but Miwa finally pulled her arms free and the chains around her chest pushed up to her shoulders. She jammed her elbows backwards, hitting Bebop and Rocksteady in the stomach and swinging her fists upwards to whack them in the face. They stumbled back, allowing Miwa to grab a control panel and launch herself down the hall on the swivel chair. She pulled out a shuriken and threw it into the door's control panel to shut it before the two mutants could follow her. She stabbed a kunai into the wall to stop her speedy journey down the hall and hurried to free her feet from their chains. She leaped off the chair just as Bebop and Rocksteady burst through the door, charging at her with their guns firing nonstop. Miwa ran towards them, dodging blasts and leaping over their heads. She grabbed their heads and smacked them together and swept their legs to force them to the ground. She grabbed Bebop's purple Mohawk and lifted him to her eye level, holding a kunai knife to his nose.

"Where's Shredder?" she demanded.

Bebop gulped. "That way." He pointed down the hall.

"Thank you." Miwa said sweetly before kicking him in the snout and taking off down the hall. She didn't have her gauntlets or her mask, but she felt secure with her shuriken and kunai on hand. She took a couple turns when she heard blasts coming from one room. She pushed her way through the door and ran inside the room, but skidded to a halt and jumped aside as red lasers hit the floor and walls where her body used to be. She noticed the two rock men firing their guns with Krang and Shredder standing behind them, admiring the spectacle.

"Miwa!"

Miwa looked up and smiled when she saw Michelangelo and Raphael with the Neutrinos. "Hey guys!"

"You're alive!" Michelangelo cheered. "I knew it!"

"Hang on, girly!" the female Neutrino called as the car swooped down. Miwa leaped up and landed in the seat as the car flew out of the room.

"You have no idea how happy I am to see you!" Raphael said, hugging Miwa tightly. Suddenly, he turned red and let go. "I mean, how happy _we _are to see you."

Miwa laughed. "It's great to see you guys too. Where are Leonardo and Donatello?"

"Working the portal, man." The blue-haired Neutrino answered. "That Donatello dude really knows how to work machines!"

Miwa blinked, her response delayed because of the teenager's fast-paced speak. "Good. The portal can get these guys and me home."

"Really?" Raphael asked.

"Yeah, the portal doesn't just go to Dimension X." Miwa explained. "Once we get these guys home safely, we can use it to find my dimension."

"Then let's hurry man!" the black-haired Neutrino urged, slamming on the gas and forcing everyone backwards a little. They zipped through the tunnels of the Technodrome, on the way to the trans-dimensional portal. They shot through the door to see Donatello at the portal's controls and Leonardo fighting the Foot Robots.

"Let's take them, Leonardo!" Michelangelo called. He, Raphael, and Miwa leaped from the car and charged, weapons drawn. They battled it out with the soldiers, their weapons clashing with the Foot's guns. Miwa drew a kunai in each hand and stabbed them into any Foot Ninja that came too close.

"The dimensional portal's open!" Donatello announced.

"Great!" Michelangelo cheered. "Now to get those rock heads in there!" He charged for General Traag and Granitor, but General Traag only swatted him aside.

"Michelangelo!" Donatello gasped worriedly.

"Nobody hits my brothers but me!" Miwa snapped, leaping up towards the rock men. Despite the pain it caused in her feet, she kicked each rock man in the face, forcing them to stumble back. But when Miwa landed, her feet slipped out from under her when they touched lubricant instead of the floor. Raphael caught her and carefully pulled her from the path of the rock men and Michelangelo and Donatello pushed them into the portal to Dimension X.

"Okay, Neutrinos." Donatello urged. "It's your turn!"

"But-but…we want to stay with you!" Kala pleaded. "And have fun!"

"I can't hold this thing open forever!" Donatello frantically pressed buttons on the control box. "And it's your only ticket home!"

"He's right." Dask decided. "We can't stay here. And we got to carry on the fight against Krang in Dimension X."

"Goodbye you crazy turtles." Kala said sadly. "We'll miss you." Dask punched the gas and they sped off into the portal.

"We'll miss you too." Michelangelo sighed.

Miwa turned and gasped. "Um, guys? We got a problem!" The four turtles turned to see Shredder appeared, ready to fight.

"Okay, Shredder!" Raphael twirled his sais. "This is it!"

But suddenly, the floor began to rumble and shake. The dimensional portal started sparking and flashing.

"Guys, what's happening?" Miwa asked worriedly.

"Huh. Looks like it's not." Raphael sighed.

"The weather maker!" Donatello realized.

"We must head up and stop it!" Leonardo urged.

"Stop what?" Miwa asked.

"After we stop the Shredder!" Michelangelo insisted. But when they turned back, Shredder disappeared. "That crummy coward! He split!"

"Worry about it later." Raphael said. "We gotta save the city!"

"Save the city from what?" Miwa asked as they ran. But she soon got her answer when they jumped into the blue Neutrino car and flew off into a stormy New York City.

"That thing will blow the whole city clear to Oz unless we stop it!" Raphael called over the winds.

"How do we stop a storm?" Miwa shouted.

"It's being controlled by a Dimension X device!" Donatello explained.

"There it is!" Leonardo pointed to a small metal object high in the air. Donatello started firing lasers, but they whizzed right by the device.

"I can't get a clear shot!" Donatello grunted as the winds pushed the car this way and that.

"I could try a shuriken or kunai but the wind will knock them away!" Miwa clutched her seat tightly. "What do we do?"

"I'll handle it!" Leonardo drew his katana and leaped from the car, much to his siblings' horror. He sliced through the spherical device, causing the storm to immediately clear up to starry skies. But he also started falling towards the pavement until Donatello could swoop in and catch him.

"Way to go, Leonardo!" Michelangelo cheered.

"Yeah!" Raphael laughed. "Everybody complains about the weather but you actually did something about it!"

* * *

Splinter passed his turtles' room and heard April reading their favorite story to them (again). He smiled and chuckled softly. He moved on, discovering Miwa in the living room, sitting on the couch and sketching in her notepad. He took the blanket from the backrest of the couch and draped it over her shoulders. She looked up and smiled, pulling the blanket farther around her.

"I am very happy to see you safe." Splinter smiled. "We were all very worried about you."

"Thanks." Miwa said softly. "It's good to, you know, not be chained to a chair anymore."

Splinter chuckled. "Well, I hope you will be about to join us soon when we face Shredder again."

"Absolutely." Miwa nodded. "I _have _to get back to the Technodrome."

"Why's that?" Splinter asked.

"Because," Miwa sighed. "it may just be my only way home."


End file.
